Palakkad: The Indian Railways has agreed to fully fund 55 road overbridges (ROBs) in Kerala after the state government said it cannot provide its 50 per cent share due to a severe financial crunch.

The Railways entrusted the 55 projects to Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (K-Rail), a joint venture between the state and the Ministry of Railways. But the work has not commenced yet, it said.

When contacted, a K-Rail official said work has begun on only 10 of them, while a road underbridge (RUB) at Nilambur is nearing completion. He admitted that Kerala is struggling not only with funds but also with acquiring land for the 126 ROBs approved for the state.

The Railways took "the out of the way decision" to fully fund 55 ROBs after the state government repeatedly wrote to the ministry seeking financial help in acquiring land and building bridges at major level crossings, said Railways and K-Rail officials.

The Railways had sanctioned 126 ROBs at busy level crossings under a 50:50 cost-sharing model, which is standard across India. "But the state hasn’t been able to contribute its share, stalling most of these critical public infrastructure projects," said Southern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer M Senthamil Selvan.

The K-Rail official said the joint venture had nudged the state government to write to the Railways to bear the full cost of the projects. On average, building one ROB costs around ₹30 crore, he said.

In June 2024, the Railways agreed to fully fund 18 ROBs, and in April 2025, gave administrative approval for 37 more, said Selvan. In January, it released ₹95 crore to K-Rail for land acquisition for 14 of the bridges where the state had finalised alignment plans. "K-Rail must complete these projects within 18 months," Selvan said.

K-Rail said it initiated work on 10 ROBs that required minimal land acquisition. Five projects were tendered in the last financial year and five in the current one. These include ROBs at:

1. Thrippakudam (between Ambalapuzha and Haripad, Alappuzha)
2. Mankara (Palakkad)
3. Pattikkad (between Angadipuram and Vaniyambalam, Malappuram)
4. Chiramangalam (between Tanur and Parappanangadi, Malappuram)
5. Makutam (between Mahe and Thalassery)
6. Olavara (between Payyannur and Trikaripur, Kasaragod)
7. South Trikaripur (Kasaragod)
8. Ezhimala (between Payangadi and Payyanur)
9. Uppala (near Manjeshwar, Kasaragod)
10. Polayathod (between Kollam and Mayyanad)

But the Railways is unhappy with the overall pace of work. "Few major states ask for 100 per cent funding. Tamil Nadu, for instance, promptly releases its share and acquires land without delay," Selvan said. "The out-of-way decision to fully fund 55 ROBs in Kerala is unprecedented and demonstrates the Railways' strong commitment towards public safety and seamless transport across the state," he said.

India is pushing for a zero-level crossing railway network to prevent accidents and allow trains to run at speeds of up to 160 kmph without interruptions. "Even now, four to five (level-crossing) accident cases are reported daily from Kerala," Selvan said.

Some of the ROBs with 100 per cent Railways funding, but are yet to see progress on the ground due to land acquisition delays are at:

1. Chittoor Road (between Edappally and Ernakulam North)
2. Oorakam-Pudukad Road (between Pudukad and Irinjalakuda, Thrissur)
3. Paravur-Varkala Road (between Kappil and Varkala-Sivagiri, Thiruvananthapuram)
4. Varavoor-Mullurkara Road (between Vallathol Nagar and Wadakkanchery)
5. Sarkara Bypass (between Kadakkavur and Murukkampuzha, Kollam)
6. Thalassery-Irikkur Road (between Thalassery and Etakkot)
7. Mankara-Palakkad Road (near Lakkidi, Palakkad)
8. Anandapuram-Nellayi Road (between Pudukad and Irinjalakuda, Thrissur)

Apart from the 55 fully funded ROBs, 71 more remain under the 50:50 cost-sharing model and have been stalled for years, either due to the state's inability to provide funds, delays in plan approvals, or failure to acquire land, according to the Railways. These projects have been entrusted to the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala Ltd (RBDCK) and K-Rail.

Meanwhile, the K-Rail official said the state has drawn up another list of eight to nine ROBs for which it plans to seek full funding from the Railways.