Urban Estate railway crossing re-opens, residents relieved

Coming as a huge relief for residents of Urban Estate, a railway crossing between Urban Estate Phase-1 and 2, which had been closed by the railways authorities re-opened on Tuesday evening.

The re-opening of C7 railway crossing is being termed historic and an exceptional move as the authorities have almost never re-opened a crossing closed by them under its policy. The authorities are learnt to have budged in this case owing to continuous follow-up on the issue by the management of Mayor World School that falls in the locality.

School chairperson Rajesh Mayor had taken a lot of pain in pushing the case with the railways authorities, including with Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, for the convenience of thousands of people, students and their parents crossing the area throughout the day. Other than the school, there are several other schools falling on either side of the railway crossing, including Cambridge Innovative School and MGN Public School.

A large number of residents had repeatedly met Rajesh Mayor urging him to intervene and help reopen the crossing. "The closure had caused immense hardships to the public, particularly those without personal transport — daily wage earners, street vendors, and small shopkeepers.

The impact extended to nearly 2.5 to 3 lakh residents of Urban Estate Phase 1 and adjoining areas, including students, women, children, and senior citizens. Even access to the cremation ground of a particular community was severely affected, forcing people to take a long, inconvenient detour. The existing Subhana underpass was unsafe for pedestrians, cart owners, cyclists, and two-wheelers due to the absence of proper footpaths and protective infrastructure", he had reported to the railways authorities after a survey.

He said the Railways has also sanctioned a brand-new underpass at the same C7 location, with work expecting to commence shortly. The combination of the reopened crossing and the newly approved underpass will transform the connectivity landscape for the entire Urban Estate and neighbouring localities. Parents, students, staff, and residents will now benefit from multiple safe, fast, and convenient access routes, easing congestion and improving safety. It is, in every sense, a gift from the government to the people — one that brings both relief and pride to the community, he commented.