More than 100 people lost their lives in collisions of vehicles with trains over the last five years.—File photo by APP

A good number of the 160 or so people, who were injured in such accidents, lost their limbs, an official of the railways told Dawn on Wednesday.

Of the 789 accidents involving trains in the country during the last five years, some 270 occurred at unmanned level crossings.

“Of the 4,072 level crossings on the more than 8,000 kilometres long operational track of the railways, 1,341 are manned and 2,731 unmanned.

“One railway employee remains present round-the-clock at the manned level crossing to close the gate before arrival of a train on the track. Gates are opened after passage of the train, while unmanned level crossings have no such provision,” said the official who sought anonymity.

Migration of rural population to towns, reduction of agricultural land near cities and their conversion into residential localities, increase in vehicles number and the growing intolerance among the public primarily owing to inflation, unemployment and law and order situation were the main causes that resulted in rise in accidents at the unmanned level crossings.

A sum of Rs11 billion would be required to convert the unmanned level crossings into manned ones and railways has yet to get a response to its requests in this regard to the federal government.

“We would require additional funds every year to pay wages to some 9,423 workers who would be posted at these level crossings,” said the official.

Quoting the train driver, Akhtar said there was no visibility problem at the site and the van came on the track all of a sudden, leaving no time to apply even emergency brakes.

The road across the unmanned level crossing near Musa Virk had been constructed a couple of years ago. “A level crossing is like a vehicular traffic signal.

The highway rules clearly state that before crossing an unmanned level crossing, one passenger of the vehicle should disembark and cross it on foot to ensure that no train is coming from either side of the track.

Furthermore, the Railways Act states that suitable gates, chains, bars, stiles or handrails should be erected on the railway administration at places where a rail track crosses a public road on the level.

The Act also binds the railway administration to employ persons to open and shut such gates etc.

Railways Board Chairman Samiul Haq Khilji said a ban had been in force on the provision of manned and unmanned level crossings on rail track.

Only flyovers or underpasses would be constructed at such places and talks are under way with the government to convert all unmanned level crossings into manned ones.