India has significantly accelerated the construction of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) across its railway network over the past decade, with more than 14,000 such structures completed since 2014, the Ministry of Railways has informed Parliament.
ROBs and RUBs are a key component of Indian Railways’ effort to eliminate level crossings and improve safety at intersections between road and rail networks, while enabling uninterrupted movement of both trains and road traffic.
Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, 11 March, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the sanctioning of works of ROBs and RUBs in place of level crossings is a continuous and dynamic process undertaken by Indian Railways.
These projects are prioritised based on their impact on train safety, mobility of trains, convenience for road users, and overall feasibility.
According to the data shared by the minister, 4,148 ROBs and RUBs were constructed during the period 2004-2014.
In comparison, the pace of construction has increased substantially in recent years, with 14,024 ROBs and RUBs built between 2014 and January 2026 across the country.
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The minister further informed that 4,802 ROBs and RUBs have been sanctioned nationwide at an estimated total cost of ₹1,14,196 crore and are currently at various stages of planning and execution.
“As on 01.02.2026, 4,802 Nos. ROBs/ RUBs are sanctioned at a cost of₹ 1,14,196 Cr on Indian Railways…which are at various stages of planning and execution,” the minister said.
The minister noted that completion timelines for such projects depend on multiple factors, including land acquisition, approval of General Arrangement Drawings (GAD), removal of encroachments, shifting of utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities, and local conditions at project sites.
To expedite the execution of these works, the minister said joint surveys are conducted with concerned state governments and road-owning authorities before finalising designs.
Periodic coordination meetings are also held to resolve implementation issues.
Additionally, the minister stated that standardisation of bridge superstructure drawings for different span combinations, skewness and road widths has been introduced to reduce design approval delays and accelerate planning.
ROBs and RUB works are also increasingly planned to be executed on a single-entity basis by Railways wherever possible.
In cases where the road-owning authority or state government opts to implement the project, Railways may permit execution on a single-entity basis, according to the minister.
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