Solapur division dismantles 103-year-old ROB in record time

The Solapur Division of Central Railway successfully carried out a 13hour and 30minute special traffic block on December 14 to dismantle a 103yearold Road Over Bridge ROB at Solapur Yard Solapur Railways demonstrated meticulous planning strong interagency coordination and a passengercentric approachAs per the release decommissioning of old structures tends to throw up surprises ndash as this ROB did Still the Division was able to conclude the work in 12 hrs 45 min and open the complete Solapur yard for normal operationsOverview of the special traffic blockThe 197metrelong ROB constructed in 1922 had become structurally vulnerable and was severely restricting railway operations Despite unexpected challenges typically associated with dismantling centuryold structures the Division completed the work 12 hours and 45 minutes ahead of schedule allowing full restoration of train operations at Solapur YardThe dismantling work was carried out by the National Highways Authority of India NHAI in close coordination with Indian Railways ensuring the protection of critical railway infrastructure throughout the operationAll key stakeholders including the peoples representatives the municipal commissioner the police commissioner and other state authorities were briefed about this exercise through briefings and necessary arrangements State government officials appreciating the need for early dismantling of the ROB extended their full cooperation to the Solapur DivisionNeed of dismantling the old ROBThe ROB structure has reached the end of its life and also it had put a 197 m noose on railway lines severely impacting Solapur which forced Solapur yard to not be able to handle speeds more than 15 kmph and necessitated the stoppage of all trainsSolapur serves the MumbaiChennai leg of Indian Railwaysrsquo golden quadrilateral ndash this ROB had adversely impacted the full utilisation of the capacity augmentation of IRrsquos GQThe Solapur Division of the Central Railways also highlighted that the track could not be maintained to required standards as the height between rails and ROB was limitedWith petroleum loading set to double through IOCL siding at Pakni near Solapur this clearance started to affect confidence in moving inflammable cargo under this ROB Furthermore this ROB put limitations on economically carrying out RoRo services from Bale towards the South Western RailwayTrains operated with minimal impactTrain services were largely unaffected due to strategic planning Key trains including Vande Bharat Express Karnataka Express Siddheshwar Express and MumbaindashChennai superfast services operated with minimal disruptionFurthermore help desks were set up at major stations and alternative arrangements such as state transport buses and onboard catering were provided where requiredTo ensure transparency and passenger preparedness the general public was well informed in advance about traffic disruptions diversions short terminations and originations rescheduling and regulations through detailed press releases social media platforms official railway apps route maps and SMS alertsExecution of shadow blocksAdditionally the Division optimally utilised the block period to execute 21 shadow blocks across the SolapurndashWadi section carrying out essential maintenance works and reducing the need for future traffic interruptionsThe successful execution of this complex operation underscores Solapur Divisionrsquos commitment to infrastructure modernisation safety and seamless passenger services