ITARHI AND CHAUSA RAILWAY GATES CLOSED

2-JUNE-ENG 14

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BUXAR----------------------------The change that the people of the district have long awaited has finally become a reality. Two of Buxar's busiest railway crossings—the Eastern Railway Gate located on Itarhi Road and the Chausa Railway Gate—are now set to become a part of history. Without any formal inauguration ceremony, the Rail Overbridges (ROBs) constructed at both locations have been opened for use by the general public.

In this sequence of events, the Eastern Railway Gate on Itarhi Road was permanently closed on Sunday, while the Chausa Railway Gate is also set to close forever starting Monday. Consequently, vehicular movement at both locations will henceforth be possible only via the newly constructed rail overbridges.

According to reports, the construction work on the rail overbridges at Itarhi and Chausa was completed only recently. Despite the lack of a scheduled inauguration date, the Railway authorities and the District Administration decided to make them operational immediately, taking into account the increasing traffic pressure on the Buxar-Ara-Mughalsarai railway section and the long traffic jams frequently occurring at the railway gates.

On Sunday, in the presence of the District Administration, the Itarhi railway gate was completely sealed off using welded barricades. As soon as the gate was closed, people began utilizing the new overbridge. Now, all vehicles—both small and large—traveling along this route will commute exclusively via the ROB.

Railway officials state that once an overbridge is constructed, there remains no need to keep the railway gate operational. The closure of the gates will facilitate increased train speeds, reduce the risk of accidents, and lead to a reduction in the railway's operational costs.

It is noteworthy that at the Itarhi railway crossing, the gate used to be closed more than 40 times daily, resulting in long queues of vehicles stretching along both sides of the road. On numerous occasions, ambulances, school buses, and ordinary commuters faced severe inconvenience as a result. Although the inauguration of the new ROB (Railway Overbridge) is expected to provide significant relief to city residents from traffic congestion, some individuals residing in the service lanes and surrounding neighborhoods may have to travel an additional distance to access the overbridge. Nevertheless, the majority of people have welcomed this change, hailing it as a major step toward the district's development and the establishment of a more efficient traffic management system.

According to railway officials, the new arrangement will render both road and rail traffic safer, faster, and more organized. In the times to come, this initiative is set to benefit thousands of commuters, local citizens, and commercial activities.