While there are no signs of the early opening of the Mahakalipadpu twin Railway Underbridge (RuB) for traffic on Saturday, January 3, the Southern Railway has said No Objection Certificate from Railways is not mandatory to open the RuB for traffic in Mangaluru. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division on Friday, January 2, said, “The request for a No Objection Certificate [NOC], as claimed by the local authorities, is not a mandatory requirement from the Railways for opening the Railway Under Bridge [RuB] to public traffic.” The Division was responding to a news article, titled “Mahakalipadpu twin RuB opening caught in bureaucratic hassles”,which appeared in The Hindu columns on January 1, concerning the Mahakalipadpu twin Railway Underbridge at Jeppu missing one more deadline. The railways said, “The Railway portion of the work has already been completed, and as per established procedure, the facility can be opened for public use by the concerned authorities once the remaining approach and allied works under their jurisdiction are completed and statutory requirements are complied with.” It said that the clarification is being issued to dispel the impression that the opening of the twin RuB has been delayed due to hurdles or inaction on the part of the Railways. There have been no procedural delays, administrative hurdles or intentional hold-ups from the Railway. Works completed in Railway jurisdiction The Division said all works within the jurisdiction and scope of Southern Railway were completed by December 15, well in time. The execution was carried out strictly in accordance with approved General Arrangement Drawings (GAD), Technical Approval Drawings (TAD), Railway Board instructions and relevant safety and engineering provisions. The project has already received sanction from the competent Railway authority with clear stipulations relating to quality assurance, drainage arrangements, structural safety, electrical safety in electrified territory and post-work certification. As per established Railway procedure, it was clearly conveyed that the RuB could be opened for traffic on submission of the prescribed safety certificate, without requiring any further inspection from Railway Headquarters. The balance works required for commissioning the RuB — approach roads, traffic integration and readiness for vehicular moveme — fall under the purview of the local/State government authorities concerned. The Division reiterated that it is fully supportive of the early opening of the Mahakalipadpu twin RuB in the interest of public convenience and improved traffic flow. Published – January 03, 2026 01:00 pm IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation Tribute | The singularity of author Vinod Kumar Shukla CJI Surya Kant lays foundation stone for seven infrastructure projects on Patna High Court premises