Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Railways addresses concerns regarding safety at Level Crossing No. 57 (LC57) at Latteri railway station and other railway infrastructure projects. The response details the construction of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) across Indian Railways, the status of the proposed ROB/RUB at LC57, redevelopment plans for Katpadi railway station, and the Vellore bypass project. The information provided is current as of June 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
ROB/RUB Construction:
* From 2014-June 2025, 13,426 ROBs/RUBs were constructed on Indian Railways, including 747 in Tamil Nadu.
* As of April 1, 2025, 4,402 ROBs/RUBs are sanctioned at a cost of ₹1,00,860 Cr on Indian Railways, including 235 in Tamil Nadu at a cost of ₹4,669 crore.
LC57 at Latteri Railway Station:
* LC57 is protected by gate signals and is interlocked.
* Construction of an ROB in lieu of LC57 was initially sanctioned but deemed unfeasible due to densely populated areas.
* Construction of a Limited Height Subway (LHS) has been sanctioned instead.
Katpadi Railway Station Redevelopment:
* Redevelopment is underway under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS).
* Structural works of the RPF and scout building are complete.
* Works for the foundation of departure terminal, multilevel car parking, parcel office, structural works of staff quarters and finishing works of RPF barrack and scout building have been taken up.
* Integration of the Road over bridge (ROB) with departure and arrival terminal building by skywalk near the existing bus stop on the south side of station is planned
Katpadi Junction ROB:
* Construction of an additional 02-lane ROB adjacent to the existing one on NH75 is being undertaken by MoRTH/NHAI.
* The General Arrangement Drawing (GAD) has been approved, and design work has commenced.
Vellore Bypass Project:
* The project includes the construction of two ROBs at Non-Level Crossing locations.
* One ROB at Railway km 137/600-700 between Latteri and Vrinjipuram stations.
* Another ROB at Railway km. 140/800-900 between Kaniyambadi Pennathur stations.
* The works are being executed by the NH Wing of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
* GADs are yet to be submitted.
Project Completion Factors:
* Completion of railway projects is subject to factors such as land acquisition, forest clearances, utility shifting, statutory clearances, geological conditions, and law and order situations.
Impact Analysis:
Ministry of Railways:
* Impact: Responsible for overseeing and executing the construction and modernization projects, ensuring safety, and managing project timelines and budgets.
* Action Required: Continue to monitor and expedite project progress, address any challenges related to land acquisition or clearances, and ensure projects align with national railway modernization and safety objectives.
Road Users/Commuters:
* Impact: Affected by the construction of ROBs/RUBs, potential disruptions during construction, and improved safety and reduced delays upon project completion.
* Action Required: Stay informed about project updates and potential traffic disruptions, and exercise caution near construction zones.
Residents of Latteri and Surrounding Areas:
* Impact: Affected by the construction of the Limited Height Subway (LHS) at LC57, potential disruptions during construction, and improved safety upon project completion.
* Action Required: Stay informed about project updates and potential disruptions, and cooperate with construction efforts.
NH Wing of the Government of Tamil Nadu:
* Impact: Responsible for executing the Vellore bypass project, including the construction of two ROBs at Non-Level Crossing locations.
* Action Required: Submit GADs, manage project timelines, and coordinate with relevant stakeholders to ensure timely completion of the Vellore bypass project.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways/National Highways Authority of India (MoRTH/NHAI):
* Impact: Responsible for the construction of the additional 02-lane ROB at Katpadi Junction on NH75.
* Action Required: Progress design and construction work, coordinate with railway authorities, and ensure the ROB is integrated with the Katpadi station redevelopment plans.
Key Entities Referenced
Latteri Railway Station: Railway station located in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, near Level Crossing No. 57 (LC57), the subject of safety concerns.
Katpadi Junction: A railway junction where a Road Rail Bridge project on NH75 is underway, with integration planned with the station redevelopment and Vellore bypass projects.
Vellore Lok Sabha Constituency: Parliamentary constituency in Tamil Nadu, where concerns about Level Crossing 57 have been raised.
NH75: National Highway 75, on which a Road Rail Bridge project at Katpadi junction is being constructed.
Ministry of Railways: The government ministry responsible for the Indian Railways, answering questions about railway projects and safety.
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS): A railway station redevelopment scheme under which the work of Katpadi railway station has been taken up.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI): The agency under Ministry of Road Transport and Highways involved in the construction of an additional Road Over Bridge at Katpadi Junction.
Tamil Nadu: State in India where several railway infrastructure projects, including ROBs and RUBs, are being implemented.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2786
TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025
LC-57 AT LATTERI RAILWAY STATION IN VELLORE
2786. THIRU D M KATHIR ANAND:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware that Level Crossing No. 57
(LC-57) at Latteri railway station near Katpadi in Vellore Lok
Sabha Constituency poses safety risks due to frequent train
movements, rising vehicular traffic, long gate closures and the
risk of accidents, especially in light of recent incidents at non-
interlocked level crossings across Tamil Nadu, if so, the details
thereof;
(b) whether any proposal exists to eliminate LC-57 by constructing
a ROB or RUB, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons
therefor;
(c) the status of the Road Rail Bridge project at Katpadi junction on
NH-75, including funds allocated, tender finalization, expected
completion date and integration with Katpadi station
redevelopment and Vellore bypass projects; and
(d) the steps taken to expedite these projects in line with national
railway modernization and safety objectives?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (d) : Sanctioning of works of Road over Bridge (ROB)/Road
Under Bridge (RUB) in lieu of Level crossings (LCs) is a continuous
and dynamic process of Indian Railways. Such works are prioritisedand taken up on the basis of its impact on safety in train operations,
mobility of trains & impact for road users and feasibility etc.
Nos. of ROBs/ RUBs constructed on Indian Railways during the
period 2004-14 vis a vis 2014-25 (June’25) is as under:
Period ROBs/ RUBs constructed
2004-14 4,148 Nos.
2014-25 (June’25) 13,426 Nos. (including 747 Nos. in
the State of Tamil Nadu)
As on 01.04.2025, 4,402 Nos. ROBs/ RUBs are sanctioned at
the cost of ₹1,00,860 Cr on Indian Railways including 235 Nos. Road
Over Bridge (ROB)/Road Under Bridge (RUB) at the cost of ₹4,669
crore in the State of Tamil Nadu, which are at various stages of
planning and execution.
Level Crossing (LC) No. 57 at Km 136/900-137/000 at Latteri
Yard on Arakkonam-Jolarpettai section of Chennai division is
protected by gate signals (inter-locked). The work for construction
of Road Over Bridge in lieu of this Level Crossing was sanctioned on
cost sharing basis. Subsequently, construction of approaches of
this ROB has been found not feasible due to dense populated area
on both sides. Accordingly, this work was not taken up.
However, construction of Limited Height Subway (LHS) has
been found feasible. Accordingly, a work of construction of
Subway has been sanctioned recently.
The work of Katpadi railway station has been taken up for
redevelopment under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS). The
structural works of RPF and scout building have been
completed. The works for foundation of departure terminal, multilevel car parking, parcel office, structural works of staff quarters
and finishing works of RPF barrack and scout building have been
taken up.
The work of additional 02 lane ROB adjacent to existing 02-
lane ROB passing through Katpadi Junction on NH-75 has been
taken up by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways/National
Highways Authority of India (MoRTH/NHAI). General Arrangement
Drawing (GAD) has been approved. The work of design has been
taken up. The master plan of the Katpadi Junction station
envisages the integration of Road over bridge (ROB) with
departure and arrival terminal building by skywalk near the
existing bus stop on the south side of station.
Vellore bypass project includes construction of two Road Over
Bridges (ROBs) at Non-Level Crossing locations, One ROB at
Railway km 137/600-700 between Latteri and Vrinjipuram stations in
Arakkonam-Jolarpettai section of Chennai Division and another ROB
at Railway km. 140/800-900 between Kaniyambadi & Pennathur
stations in Villupuram-Katpadi section of Thiruchchirappalli
division. These works are being executed by NH Wing of the
Government of Tamil Nadu on single entity basis. GADs are yet to
be submitted.
Completion of Railway project/s including ROBs/RUBs depends
on various factors like quick land acquisition by State Government,
forest clearance by officials of forest department, shifting of
infringing utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities,
geological and topographical conditions of area, law and order
situation in the area of project/s site, number of working months in
a year for particular project site etc. All these factors affect the
completion time and cost of the project/s.
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