Railway Knowledge: Half of India doesn't know! How long before the train arrives does the gate close?

Railway Knowledge: People often get upset at the railway gate when the train is late and the level crossing gate is closed. Many times, people get angry at the gateman or ask questions, but the poor gateman is just doing his work. The work of the gateman is done on the orders of the station master. So let's understand in easy Hindi how much before the train arrives the railway gate is closed, and what is the system behind it.

All the work in the railway is in the hands of the station master. From showing the green flag to the train to giving the signal, everything is done on the orders of the station master. Loco pilot, guard, and gateman all obey the station master. The gateman cannot close or open the gate on his own.

When is the railway gate closed?
The gate is not opened until the order comes again from the station master. That is, the gateman does not know when the train will arrive; he just works on the instructions of the station master.

An absolute block signal system is used for signalling in railways. In this system, if the distance between two stations is 4 to 6 km, then after one train passes on that route, the second train is not given a signal until the first train reaches the next station.

Railway gates are interlocked with the signal; that is, the train will not get the signal until the gate is closed. Therefore, the station master orders the gateman to close the gate only when the train is 4 to 6 km away. If the gate is not closed, the train cannot move forward.

What happens when there is a large distance between the stations?

If the distance between two stations is large, that is, 10 to 12 km, then an intermediate block signal (IBS) is installed between them. When the train crosses this signal, the station master comes to know and he orders the gateman to close the gate. This means that the gate is closed only when the train is 4 to 6 km away from the railway gate. Now how much time the train will take to reach the gate depends on its speed.

So, next time when you wait at the railway gate and the train is late, instead of getting angry at the gateman, understand that he is just doing his duty. This system has been made for the safety of the railways, so that no accident happens. The job of the gateman and the station master is to ensure the safety of passengers and pedestrians. So be patient and understand this rule of the railways, because it is for the good of everyone.

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