Accelerating Infrastructure: Indian Railways' Ambitious Road Over Bridges/Under Bridges Expansion

Since 2014, Indian Railways has constructed 13,653 Road Over Bridges and Under Bridges, significantly increasing from the previous decade. The ongoing projects face delays due to alignment issues, land acquisition, and government coordination, especially in West Bengal and Telangana, emphasizing the complexity of infrastructure development.

In an address to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the significant strides made by Indian Railways in constructing Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) since 2014. A total of 13,653 structures have been built as part of a continuous project aimed at enhancing safety and mobility on the railways, starkly contrasting with the 4,148 built between 2004 to 2014.

Highlighting regional challenges, Vaishnaw noted that out of 302 sanctioned ROB/RUB projects in West Bengal, 99 are presently delayed. Factors such as alignment finalization, General Arrangement Drawing stages, land acquisition, and public protests contribute to these setbacks. Similarly, Telangana faces delays in 17 out of 63 sanctioned ROBs due to state government issues and land acquisition hurdles.

Focused efforts are being made to expedite these projects, which include joint surveys with state authorities and standardized design approaches. The Railway Ministry is pushing for smooth execution through collaboration with state governments and streamlined processes, aiming to resolve persistent challenges in infrastructure development, especially in key states like Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

(With inputs from agencies.)