Railway to Fully Fund 55 Critical ROBs in Kerala for Public Safety

21 May 2025 CW Team

Southern Railway has decided to fully fund the construction of fifty-five critical Road Over Bridges (ROBs) in Kerala, stepping away from the standard fifty-fifty cost-sharing model with the State government.

The move follows Kerala’s failure to provide its share for one hundred twenty-six sanctioned ROBs, which had stalled these vital infrastructure projects for years. Normally, both the Railway and State were to jointly finance the replacement of level crossings. However, due to prolonged delays in fund release by the State, most projects remained incomplete.

To address the deadlock, Southern Railway invoked a public interest clause to bear one hundred per cent of the cost for the most essential ROBs. The responsibility for implementing these projects lies with the Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited, a joint venture under the State government.

Despite the Railway’s financial commitment, progress has been hampered by issues such as unapproved plans, pending land acquisition for approach roads, and delays in contract finalisation.

Key locations to benefit include Idappally, Ernakulam North, Pudukad, Irinjalakuda, Varkala Sivagiri, Wadakkanchery, Murukkampuzha, and Thalassery, among others across Thrissur, Kollam, Kannur, and Thiruvananthapuram districts.

Source:The Hindu

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