Govt to conduct feasibility studies for underpasses at key railway crossings

The Delhi Government is planning to conduct feasibility studies for the construction of underpasses at railway crossings as part of its broader traffic decongestion initiative, officials said on Thursday.

At present, there are around 8-10 railway crossings across the national capital that experience heavy congestion. Residents are often forced to take longer alternate routes to avoid traffic jams, resulting in increased commuting time, they said.

“The vehicle load at these crossings is heavy. We are working on a plan to study whether we can construct a tunnel underneath the Punjabi Bagh and Peeragarhi Chowk to facilitate easier movement for people living on either side of the line,” the Public Works Department (PWD) minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said.

At present, a five-kilometre-long railway line passes between Punjabi Bagh and Paschim Vihar on one side and Rani Bagh and Pitampura on the other. We are planning to construct a tunnel or an overbridge at the location, whichever is found more feasible, he added.

According to officials, the vehicle load at these crossings is heavy. Since these are manned railway crossings, an alternative route is being planned.

“The PWD will be carrying out a survey of the buildings, encroachments, trees, road signage, and other permanent structures around these crossings. The study would also take into account vehicles’ parking space on these stretches and the timing of the closing and opening of railway crossings,” a PWD official said.

Such a study is conducted by the PWD to make a detailed report about any road infrastructure project and then present a proposal to the other authorities for approval, officials added.

Most of these crossings are in Northwest Delhi, and one is in East Delhi. According to officials, the moving space around these crossings is congested. Under its traffic decongestion plan, PWD is also studying the construction of three flyovers in the Bawana, Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road and Aruna Asaf Ali Road areas of South Delhi.