Jalandhar: Urban Estate railway crossing reopens, residents relieved

Jalandhar: In a major relief for residents of Urban Estate, a railway crossing between Urban Estate Phase 1 and 2, which had been closed by railway officials, reopened on Tuesday evening. The reopening of the C7 railway crossing is being hailed as historic and an extraordinary step, as officials have a policy of almost never reopening closed crossings. It is reported that the authorities’ relentless pursuit of the issue by the management of the Meyer World School, located in the area. School president Rajesh Meyer had worked diligently to raise the issue with railway officials, including Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, to facilitate the thousands of people, students, and their parents who pass through the area throughout the day. Besides the school, several other schools are located on both sides of the railway crossing, including Cambridge Innovative School and MGN Public School. A large number of residents repeatedly met with Rajesh Meyer, urging him to intervene and help reopen the crossing. “The closure caused significant hardship to the public, especially those without private transportation—daily wage earners, street vendors, and small shopkeepers. This impacted approximately 250,000 to 300,000 residents of Urban Estate Phase 1 and surrounding areas, including students, women, children, and senior citizens. Even access to a cremation ground for a particular community was severely affected, forcing people to take long and inconvenient detours. The existing Subhana underpass was unsafe for pedestrians, street vendors, cyclists, and two-wheelers due to the lack of proper footpaths and protective infrastructure,” he told railway officials after a survey. He added that the railway has also approved a brand-new underpass at the same C7 location, work on which is expected to begin soon. The combination of the reopened crossing and the newly approved underpass will transform the connectivity landscape for the entire Urban Estate and surrounding areas. Parents, students, staff, and residents will now benefit from multiple safe, fast, and convenient access routes, reducing congestion and improving safety. He said this is a gift from the government to the people in every sense – bringing both relief and pride to the community.