railway and road passage at conventional level crossings has hindered track maintenance and resulted in the serious problem of increasing collision accidents.
On the other hand, viewed from the road standpoint, in addition to increased automobile accidents, traffic is temporarily cut off while trains pass and automobiles must stop before entering crossings, resulting in traffic congestion.
Therefore, the following policies are being actively pursued with government assistance.
(1) Structural improvements such as width, gradient, paving and visibility
(2) Installation of safety devices such as warning devices and automatic barriers
(3) Prohibition of automobile passage through level crossings with little road traffic volume or elimination of these crossings
(4) Grade separation
As a result of these policies, whereas 3,500 accidents occurred at the 70,000 level crossings throughout the nation in 1960, these figures had been reduced to 40,000 level crossings and 500 accidents by 1994. (See Fig. 8 and 9.)
As previously mentioned, level crossings with roads are a major factor standing in the way of higher train speeds, and the need for their removal is stressed from this aspect as well.
The most economic method of solving this problem is generally to create a grade separated crossing by moving the road above or below the railway. However, in urban areas where there are continuous crossings, it is better to elevate railways or to move them underground.
4.4 Other Structures
Railways involve a number of structures and buildings including station facilities such as station plazas, sheds for passengers, station buildings, passageways and loading facilities. These structures should also be reviewed, and improved or modernized as necessary.
5 Conclusion
I do not feel that I have sufficient knowledge concerning the Myanma Railways to offer a complete prescription for modernizing the Myanma Railways. Therefore, I have prepared a menu of suggestions which approach modernization in a similar manner even for differing railway formats. Although my aim was to introduce the basic philosophy for the modernization of narrow gauge railways in Japan, I am afraid I have done little more than prepare a general list of suggestions.
At any rate, it is my hope that these suggestions will prove useful in the modernization of the Myanma Railways.
