Pune: In observance of International Level Crossing Awareness Day on June 5, 2025, the Pune Division of Central Railway undertook a wide-reaching public safety campaign to promote awareness about responsible behavior at railway level crossings. The campaign focused on 13 level crossing gates across two key railway routes—Pune–Daund and Pune–Satara.
As part of the initiative, awareness activities were held at Level Crossing Gates No. 2, 4, 7, and 8 in the Pune–Daund section, and at Gates No. 586, 4, 10, 19, 26, 27, 31, 32, and 33 in the Pune–Satara section. Teams comprising railway safety officers and field staff engaged with local residents, commuters, and road users at each of these sites, stressing the importance of adhering to safety guidelines when crossing railway tracks.
The drive was conducted under the leadership of Shri Rajesh Kumar Verma, Divisional Railway Manager, Pune, and Shri P. U. Jadhav, Additional Divisional Railway Manager. Operational oversight was provided by Shri Rajendra Kumar Kathal, Senior Divisional Safety Officer, and Shri Dilip Tayade, Assistant Divisional Safety Officer. Several key personnel—including Shri Ajay Kumar Sinha, Shri Ratnakar Patil, Shri Vinay Kumar, Shri Srivastava, and team members Shri Pravin Dargude, Rohit Pandit, and Ishwar Konari—played vital roles in the success of the campaign.
The campaign featured a range of impactful outreach activities. Safety officials visited level crossing sites to distribute informative pamphlets outlining essential safety dos and don’ts, and directly counselled road users on correct practices, especially when gates are closed. Public engagement was further amplified through street plays (Nukkad Nataks) and loudspeaker announcements at railway stations. A digital outreach strategy also saw safety messages shared via WhatsApp with over 5,750 recipients.
Key highlights of the campaign include:
Distribution of 5,500 safety awareness pamphlets
Sharing of 5,750 WhatsApp safety messages
Conducting 13 street plays to engage the public
Direct counselling provided to 5,650 road users
Through these efforts, the Pune Division reinforced its strong commitment to railway safety and proactive community engagement, aiming to significantly reduce incidents at level crossings and cultivate a culture of alertness and responsibility among road users.
