Buxar: The railway crossing on the Buxar-Itarhi route reopened on Friday after nearly three months, bringing relief to thousands of commuters who had been forced to take longer routes since its closure in June following defects in a newly built railway overbridge.The crossing has been reopened with temporary approval from the Railway Board and will remain operational until repairs to the Railway Overbridge (ROB) are completed or for six months, whichever is earlier.The reopening follows persistent demands from local residents and protest groups. BJP Buxar MLA Anand Mishra had also taken up the matter with the railway minister and the Railway Board chairman.The 950-metre ROB, built at a cost of about Rs 26.40 crore, was completed earlier this year. However, vehicular movement was halted on June 5 after an expansion joint near pillar No. 5 subsided barely 10 days after the bridge was opened. The railway crossing was also closed on safety grounds.The closure caused significant inconvenience to commuters travelling between Buxar and Itarhi, including students, office-goers, traders and patients, who were forced to use longer alternative routes.Members of the Ati-Pichhda Swabhiman Sangharsh Morcha, led by convener Saroj Rajbhar, staged a month-long protest and twice blocked rail traffic, demanding the reopening of the crossing.ECR chief public relations officer Saraswati Chandra said the crossing was reopened after completing all necessary safety arrangements. Railway officials spent more than a week reinstalling gates, machinery and other systems before restoring traffic.While residents welcomed the move, they urged authorities to expedite repairs to the ROB, saying the reopening provided only temporary relief.
