₹12.8-crore RUB project launched at Baltana, to be ready in a year

Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, who was present on the occasion, said Baltana level crossing handles over 9 lakh vehicles on a daily basis, making it one of the busiest in the region

Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of the ₹12.8-crore road under bridge (RUB) at the busy Baltana level crossing on Ambala-Chandigarh rail section. The work is expected to be completed within a year.

Bittu said the RUB project is being executed on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis between Indian Railways and the Chandigarh administration. (HT Photo for representation)

Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, who was present on the occasion, said Baltana level crossing handles over 9 lakh vehicles on a daily basis, making it one of the busiest in the region. The RUB will provide safe and uninterrupted movement to commuters travelling between Raipur Kalan, Mauli Jagran, Vikas Nagar, Baltana, Zirakpur, Dhakoli and Panchkula, who would often find themselves caught in long traffic snarls, especially in peak morning and evening hours, during train movement.

Bittu said the RUB project is being executed on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis between Indian Railways and the Chandigarh administration. The project had remained stuck for years due to delays in land acquisition and pending financial approvals. The RUB will be built using a “normal pushing” technique, allowing train operations to continue uninterrupted during construction.