PRAYAGRAJ, Nov. 15 -- Safety measures on the busy Delhi-Howrah main line are set for an upgrade, with the construction of a 1,503-km safety wall along the route entering its final stage, railway officials said. Of the total length, 1,470 km has already been completed under the North Central Railway (NCR) zone, leaving just 33 km of work pending. Officials expect the entire stretch to be secured by December 2025. The benefits of the wall are already visible. In the Prayagraj division, cattle being runover cases have dropped from 1,541 in 2024 to 1,120 in 2025 (till date). Across the NCR zone, the numbers have declined from 3,530 to 3,243 during the same period. The wall is being built on both sides of the tracks to prevent cattle and other animals from entering the railway line. Officials say that once fully completed, it will not only reduce accidents but also help increase train speeds. Under the Centre's 'Mission Raftaar' initiative, Indian Railways aims to raise train speeds to 160 km/h on the Delhi-Howrah corridor. NCR's senior public relations officer Amit Malaviya said the wall has already contributed to reducing cattle runover incidents. In several sections, metal beam crash barriers have also been installed alongside the RCC wall to reinforce safety, he added. The wall is being constructed from Chhipiyana Buzurg station in the Ghaziabad division up to the outer area of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya station. More than 60% of this roughly 750-km stretch falls within the NCR zone, Malaviya said....