Solapur: 103-Year-Old ROB Dismantled at Solapur Yard in 13.5-Hour Block
Solapur, 17th December 2025: The Solapur Division of Central Railway successfully executed a 13 hours 30 minutes special traffic block on December 14, 2025, to dismantle a 103-year-old Road Over Bridge (ROB) at Solapur Yard. The dismantling work was completed in 12 hours 45 minutes, ahead of the scheduled block duration, and normal rail operations at Solapur Yard were restored thereafter.
The traffic block was undertaken to dismantle the 19.7-metre-long ROB, constructed in 1922, which had become structurally vulnerable due to age and increasing vehicular load. The dismantling was carried out by the National Highways Authority of India in coordination with Indian Railways, with safety arrangements made to protect tracks, overhead equipment and other critical railway assets.
During the operation, overhead traction wires were dropped and restored using four tower wagons and OHE inspection cars. Tracks, points and electrical installations were protected using steel channels, sandbags and plywood sheets to prevent damage from debris and heavy machinery. Rail traffic was resumed after completion of work, following prescribed safety checks.
Heavy machinery deployed for the dismantling included hydraulic cranes of 225-tonne and 200-tonne capacity, excavator breakers, long-boom excavators, JCBs, tractor-mounted breakers and trolleys.
The ROB had imposed operational restrictions at Solapur Yard, including a speed limit of 15 kmph and mandatory stoppage of trains, affecting capacity on the Mumbai–Chennai section of Indian Railways’ Golden Quadrilateral. Limited vertical clearance under the bridge also constrained track maintenance and posed challenges for overhead traction power lines, particularly for the movement of petroleum traffic and Ro-Ro services.
The traffic block was planned to minimise disruption to passenger services. Several major trains, including Vande Bharat Express, Hutatma Express, Siddheshwar Express, Karnataka Express, Mumbai–Chennai Superfast services and Kalaburagi–Kolhapur Superfast Express, operated with no or minimal impact. Information on diversions, rescheduling and short terminations was communicated in advance through press releases, digital platforms and passenger alerts.
Passenger assistance measures included help desks at Solapur, Kalaburagi, Pandharpur and Kurduvadi stations. The Pune–Solapur Intercity Express was short terminated at Kurduvadi, with onward road transport arranged for passengers. Catering arrangements were made for diverted services such as the Pune–Hyderabad Shatabdi Express.
In parallel with the ROB dismantling, the Solapur Division executed 21 shadow blocks across the Solapur–Wadi section to carry out maintenance works at multiple locations, including Solapur Yard, Bale, Madha, Hotgi, Akkalkot Road and Wadi sections. These works included six major safety-related activities, reducing the need for future traffic blocks.
A total workforce of 691 personnel, including railway staff and contractual workers, was deployed during the operation, which was monitored on site by divisional officers to ensure coordination and adherence to the planned schedule.
