The Northeast Frontier Railway authorities eliminating all unmanned level-crossing gates under its jurisdictions have not put an end to fatal accidents of trains ramming into road vehicles as crossings at unauthorized locations continue for lack of alternatives like Road Over Bridge (ROB) or Road Under Bridge (RUB). The new policy for the elimination of level-crossings (LC) which has come into effect on July 28 requires the State Government or road agencies to bear 100% of the cost of work of eliminating LC which is not a per priority of Railways if the government and road agencies decide to eliminate it. In respect of all LC forming part of Railway's priority, 100% cost of work shall be borne by Railways for the elimination of those LCs. This marks a departure from the earlier policy of sharing the cost of ROB/RUB by the State Government and Railways depending on traffic density. The central focus of the previous and current policy is doing away with the manning of level-crossings to the elimination of level-crossings for barrier-free and faster movement of trains. For states in the Northeast which are dependent on the Central Government for road and other connectivity infrastructure, the burden of 100% cost is likely and will be a key factor in deciding on petitions by residents of unauthorized crossings for construction of ROB/RUB as these crossings are not a priority for railways. The earlier policy to decide if a ROB/RUB is to be provided for closing the LC was based on Train Vehicle Unit (TVU) factor. The TVU is the number of trains passing in both directions multiplied by the number of vehicles crossing the location over 24 hours. The LCs having a traffic density of more than one lakh TVUs or LCs located in the busy yard and suburban section were taken up for replacement by ROB/RUB on a cost-sharing basis subject to the consent of the State Government for closure of the LC and sharing of cost. LCs having a traffic density of less than one lakh are being replaced by RUB/ Subways at Railway cost if it is required by Railway and technically feasible. LCs having a traffic density of less than one lakh TVUs or locations where no LC exists across the railway tracks are being replaced by ROB/RUB, if required by the State Government, and are technically feasible the entire cost of ROB/RUB is borne by the State Government or the local authorities or the sponsoring authority. Provision of ROB involves a huge cost compared to RUB, but the latter is often not feasible in those locations without the adequate height of the railway track. In flood-prone areas, the construction of RUB often serves no purpose due to the accumulation of water under it during rains. The NF Railway authorities identified 950 unauthorized crossings and claimed to have closed 754 numbers and putting warning boards at 919 locations and providing trenches at 181 locations. As these unauthorized crossings cut down travel time for residents and alternative routes cost them both time and extra travel costs, often the railway authorities' action of closing down is either faced with protests and demand for ROB/RUB or continue to use the crossings at the risk of their lives. This points towards the policy of elimination of LCs not being effective in putting an end to fatal accidents on railway tracks due to unmanned level-crossing, irrespective of authorized or unauthorized. By the revised policy, the State Government has to acquire and provide encumbrance-free land at its own cost for the ROB/RUB land for approaches. Besides, all LCs on national highway corridors are to be replaced by ROBs/RUBs by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) or the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at their cost by the memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Railway and MoRTH/ NHAI. Indian railways replaced a total of 9,749 level-crossing gates with ROB / RUBs from April 2014 till March this year which involved an estimated expenditure of Rs 32,661 crore which speaks volumes about the huge financial burden of closure of unmanned LCs. The process is also long drawn as proposals for the construction of ROB/RUB instead of LCs are either conceptualized by Zonal Railways or received from State Government and other Statutory Authorities and after completing various formalities like the consent for sharing of cost, closure of LCs and feasibility, the mutually agreed proposal are queued for inclusion in the Budget. Ensuring the safety of road vehicles and railway passengers by putting in place an effective mechanism till ROB/RUB is commissioned must remain the top priority for both the Railways and State Government. Building awareness among users of the unauthorized crossings that the train is not supposed to stop or slow down in those locations is crucial, but it will not have the desired impact without an alternative solution to their problem.