70 level crossings converted to electric barriers in Chennai: What this means for road users waiting at busy railway crossings

A level crossing that once took up to three minutes to open or close can now be cleared in around eight to 12 seconds as the Chennai Division of Southern Railway replaces manual barriers with electrically operated lifting barriers (EOLBs).

Of the 143 manned level crossings under the division, 70 have so far been converted to EOLBs. The move is aimed at reducing waiting times for road users and improving safety at busy rail crossings.

Electric barriers cut level crossing waiting time

Manual barriers are operated by gatekeepers using hand-cranked winches and can take significantly longer to open or close. With EOLBs, the process can now be completed in seconds.


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Each electrically operated lifting barrier costs around Rs 30 lakh. The faster operation is also expected to reduce the chances of vehicles attempting to cross before the barriers are fully closed or damaging them while they are being operated.

Chennai Beach-Chengalpet section gets 100% EOLB coverage

The Chennai Beach-Chengalpet section has achieved complete coverage, with all 13 manned level crossings now fitted with EOLBs.

These include crossings at Chromepet, Pallavaram, Perungalathur and Singaperumal Koil.

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On the Chengalpet-Arakkonam section, 19 of the 31 manned crossings have been upgraded. On the Chennai Central-Gudur route, 11 of 29 crossings have received the new system.

More railway crossings upgraded across Chennai Division

Several other routes have also seen the installation of electrically operated barriers.

• Chennai Central-Arakkonam: 8 of 10 crossings upgraded
• Arakkonam-Katpadi: 7 of 9 crossings upgraded
• Arakkonam-Renigunta: 6 of 14 crossings upgraded
• Katpadi-Villupuram: 3 of 8 crossings upgraded
• Chengalpet-Villupuram: 3 of 29 crossings upgraded

The remaining manned crossings will be converted in phases, with priority based on road and rail traffic volumes.

Emergency sliding booms installed at 133 crossings

Southern Railway has also introduced an additional safety measure at most of the division's manned level crossings.

Emergency Sliding Booms have been installed at 133 of the 143 crossings. These can be manually deployed if the main barrier is damaged.

The system allows the crossing's interlocking arrangements to remain functional while repairs to the damaged main barrier are carried out.

The combination of faster electric barriers and emergency sliding booms is aimed at improving both the efficiency and safety of level crossings across the Chennai Division.


Inputs from TOI