A railway gate on the Bandel–Katwa route in Hooghly allegedly remained open as a local train approached on Tuesday, prompting the locomotive pilot to sound repeated horns before the gate was lowered and the train moved ahead.
The incident took place at the Somra Kolora railway gate, according to local sources cited by Anandabazar. Residents reportedly saw the 37754 Down Katwa–Bandel local standing a short distance from the crossing while the gate remained open. The locomotive pilot was said to have continued sounding the horn.
The gateman then came out of the cabin and closed the railway gate. The train passed after the crossing was shut. Local residents subsequently protested around the gateman, alleging that he had been asleep when the train was approaching. The allegation has not been independently established in the supplied report.
Residents also informed the station master at Jirat railway station about the incident. The crossing is used by local people and road users, making the timing of gate closure a direct safety issue for both railway passengers and people crossing the tracks.
Eastern Railway public relations officer Shibaram Majhi said the railway would investigate what had happened. The statement does not confirm whether the gateman was found asleep, whether any operational lapse was established, or whether disciplinary action has been initiated.
The report comes after a separate level-crossing accident in Murshidabad on July 17, when a school van entered the track between Karnasubarna station and Gobindapur railway gate and was hit by a train. Five people, including four students, died in that incident, and the gateman was arrested.
The immediate next step in the Hooghly case is the inquiry promised by Eastern Railway. Further details about the gate’s operating status, the train’s movement and any action against railway staff remain pending.
