NEW DELHI, October 9 — The Ministry of Railways on Friday sanctioned a targeted capital outlay of ₹9,500 crore to construct 1,200 Road Overbridges (ROBs) and Road Underbridges (RUBs) across broad-gauge trunk corridors, aiming to eliminate high-density level crossings and enable uninterrupted passenger express train operations at speeds up to 160 km/h.
According to the implementation blueprint finalized by the Railway Board, the engineering packages will be executed under 50:50 joint cost-sharing agreements between Indian Railways and respective state governments, supplemented by financial allocations from the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF). Eliminating surface rail-road intersections directly reduces train detention hours and enhances suburban road transit fluidity.
Railway officials confirmed that following the successful complete elimination of unmanned level crossings across broad-gauge routes, capital priority is now focused on replacing high-TVU (Train Vehicle Unit) manned gates. The newly sanctioned structures will integrate prefabricated composite steel girders, automated sump drainage pumps, and solar-assisted LED illuminations.
Railway safety architecture, the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund Act 2000 (CRIF cess on high-speed diesel and petrol), the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK safety endowment), Mission Raftaar speed upgradation targets, and public infrastructure financing are recurrent topics across UPSC Civil Services (GS-III: Infrastructure & Transport) and technical public sector engineering exams. Candidates should analyze how grade-separation infrastructure correlates with rail operational safety indices.