NEW DELHI: Road and rail movement on Western Railway’s Udhna-Ukai Songadh section in Gujarat is set for an infrastructure upgrade, with a four-lane Road Over Bridge (ROB) planned to replace an existing level crossing.
The Ministry of Railways announced on its official X account on September 19 that Indian Railways has sanctioned the construction of the four-lane ROB at a cost of around Rs 133 crore. The ministry also highlighted the project’s aim on X, as “Smoother Traffic, Safer Rail Operations”.
As per the official press release issued by the Ministry of Railways, the ROB will replace Level Crossing No.53 at km 62/2-4 on the Udhna-Ukai Songadh section. The total approved cost of the project is Rs 133.2295 crore.
What will change at Level Crossing No.53?
The four-lane ROB will offer a grade-separated crossing, separating road traffic from railway movement at the location. Explaining the expected impact, the Railway Ministry said in its PIB release that construction will “facilitate smoother movement of road traffic”. Thus, it will reduce interference with railway operations.
As per the ministry, the grade-separated infrastructure will also support smoother train operations and result in safer and more efficient railway movement on the Udhna-Ukai Songadh section.
Bridge portion to use Open Web Girder
The railway bridge portion of the ROB will consist of an Open Web Girder (OWG) and is estimated to cost Rs 91.60 crore. Another notable feature is the alignment of the crossing. The location has a 62% skew (sharp angle to the railway line), which the railway said significantly raises the complexity of the project’s design and construction.
The viaduct portion will have a total length of 311.58 metres and is estimated to cost Rs 19.98 crore.
Railway approach to extend 524.32 metres
The Railway Approach (RE) portion will extend for 524.32 metres, with an estimated cost of Rs 10.25 crore, as per the official statement. The Rs 133.2295-crore project will be done on a cost-sharing basis between Indian Railways and state government.
Indian Railways will be providing Rs 66.6147 crore, whereas the state government will need to contribute Rs 66.6148 crore.
What does the project mean for rail operations?
Although the project is related to replacing a road level crossing with an ROB, the Railway Ministry has also underlined its implications for train operations.
As per PIB, reducing interference between road and railway traffic is likely to support smoother railway movement. The ministry stated the project will benefit passengers through enhanced operational efficiency and reliability on the Udhna-Ukai Songadh section.
Railways’ wider infrastructure push
Separately, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on September 9 sanctioned three railway multitracking projects worth Rs 10,783 crore across five states. The projects are likely to add around 656 km to the Indian Railways network and cover 14 districts. They include Kharagpur-Jharsuguda (Bagdehi) fourth line, Bilaspur (Uslapur)-Pendra Road third line and Katni-Pendra Road fourth line.
