North Eastern Railway sanctions Rs 166 crore for road overbridges and underbridges

North Eastern Railway has sanctioned Rs 166 crore for road overbridges and road underbridges across its Varanasi, Lucknow and Izzatnagar divisions for the 2026-27 financial year.

The funding is intended to improve road and rail safety, reduce congestion at railway crossings and address infrastructure problems such as waterlogging at existing underbridges.

Work is under way to improve 10 road underbridges and limited-height subways in the Izzatnagar and Lucknow divisions. The works include measures to address waterlogging and widening requirements at the affected locations, reported The Times of India.

Construction of two new road overbridges is also progressing, with one in the Izzatnagar division and another in the Varanasi division.

In addition, five new road underbridges or limited-height subways are being constructed in the Varanasi division.

The programme forms part of the railway’s effort to separate road and rail traffic wherever grade-separated crossings are required. Replacing level-crossing gates with overbridges or underbridges can reduce the time motorists spend waiting for trains and help improve traffic movement.

Underbridges can also present drainage challenges, particularly during heavy rainfall. The improvement work is intended to address such issues alongside widening and other infrastructure requirements.

The projects cover three divisions of North Eastern Railway and involve both improvements to existing structures and construction of new crossings.

The Rs 166 crore allocation applies to the 2026-27 financial year. The report does not specify individual project costs or completion dates for all the structures.

The programme is intended to improve coordination between railway operations and road transport, while reducing delays at crossings and making local road networks more efficient.