A line that divides the city.

In schools, we may have studied in maths abt a line intersecting an another line or 2 lines running parallel and sometimes a line intersect them and divide them. But have you ever heard of a line dividing a city in two parts?

Well when you come to Bikaner you not only hear this but you even get to see it too..... where in the middle of the most congested main markets a line, railway line bisecting the city in two halves, 9-10 so such level crossings criss-cross the city and divides it in two halves.


The two yellow boxes shows the two railway crossings that are the most congested and problametic railway crossings of the city.

These railway crossings bring the life to a standstill by staggerring 52 times, allowing different passanger and goods trains to pass and any times for taking the carriage to yard and washing line and after the construction of the new bigger washing line near the existing one these crossings are closed even more times for shunting of engines and trains. And each time the crossing is closed it remains so for about 15 - 20 minutes and bringing the traffic system to its knees. Even after the crossing is closed it takes atleast 15-20 minutes for the traffic to come to normal again during the off peak hours when the traffic is minimal and as much as 60-75 minutes during the peak hours of offices and schools and evening when people and families come to the market for shopping and taking some time out.


These railway crossings has taken numerous lives in last few years, directly and indirectly. Some died of the unfateful accidents on the crossing including few animals like cows/dogs/goats, while some dies because they were not able to get to hospital in time due to closed crossings. People have lost their lives in ambulances standing helpless in front of the railway crossings. While many students have got late in their exams while some people were not able to reach to their professions and offices in time.

Many times, leaders and politicians in the time of elections have promised a permanent solution of the problem but that solution never came. RUIDP(Rajasthan Urbun Infrastructure Development Project) claims on its website that "Earlier Rail bye-pass was sanctioned but as MOU was not agreed by Railways. Therefore in place of it, 1 no. Rail Over Bridge at Gajner road, NH-15 railway crossing, costing Rs.21.30 crores for Viaduct spans & Approaches of ROB has been issued to the firm. Work is under progress." But this one flyover/ROB is not the permanenet solution of the complete problem, though this ROB is a of little relief but then this ROB is being constructed on the Gajner road that is a higway and that place ispretty farwaway from the crossings that are being mentioned. An another crossing "chaukhunti"railway crossing just next to kotegate railway crossingi n northwest direction is also dealing with the same problem, and al these roads being the main road leading to the most important and main markets of Bikaner poses bigger problem.

According to the journalist Avinash Kalla for TOI Jaipur edition on April 26, 2009 "The rail track criss-crossing the city is more of a botheration' than connectivity. Around 50 trains, including passenger and goods, cross right through the heart of the city near Kote Gate, leading to a big jam in the middle of a congested city's shopping hub."

When the election approaches, candidates of various parties or independent claims to solve this problem permanently like, "Proper traffic planning for the city is top on my agenda and that includes creating a railway overbridge or bypass to end this chaos," says BJP candidate Arjun Meghwal. His opponent Congress candidate Rewat Ram Panwar too is raising the issue, "This is a matter that can be solved only by Centre's intervention. If elected, I promise a solution for the same," he says. While one of the major political personality Dr. B.D. Kalla of congress(I) claims "Permanent solution for the railway crossing bisecting the city of Bikaner and bringing the daily life to standstill 52 times a day!" on his website, however the elections have ended and candidates win and loose, yet the railway crossing is always there as they were always awaiting a solution, a permanent one........... Hope it will come soon enough.