HUBBALLI – It was a busy Saturday for engineers in the Hubballi Division as the South Western Railway executed a series of “Mega Line Blocks” to wrap up critical bridge and track work.
The work, which was documented in a series of updates from the Hubballi Divisional Railway Manager’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, focused heavily on the difficult terrain near the Goa-Karnataka border.
Nine Hours at Bridge 75
The heavy lifting happened in the Castle Rock–Caranzol (CLR–CRZ) section. Crews were given a 9-hour and 50-minute window—starting at 7:10 AM—to finish RCC box pushing at Bridge No. 75.
DRM Smt. Bela Meena was on the tracks for most of the day, supervising the technical teams. This kind of work is usually a race against the clock; the “block” has to end on time to prevent a domino effect of delays for passenger and freight trains moving through the ghats.
Simultaneous Work at Dudhsagar
While the bridge work was happening at Castle Rock, other teams were spread out across:
- Dudhsagar to Sonalium
- Sonalium to Kulem
Senior officials confirmed these weren’t just routine checks but “developmental works” designed to reinforce the tracks before the monsoon season hits.
The tracks were handed back for normal operations around 5:00 PM. According to the DRM’s office, these coordinated efforts are the only way to handle major infrastructure upgrades without shutting down the line for days at a time.
Summer Rush: Special Trains in Motion
The timing of the Mega Block is crucial, as Hubballi is currently seeing a massive surge in travelers. To handle the May heat and holiday rush, SWR is operating several Summer Special Trains. Specifically, the LTT-Bengaluru Weekly Special (01013/01014) has been a lifeline for locals, stopping at Hubballi and Dharwad to ferry passengers between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Railway officials confirmed that despite the intensity of Saturday’s maintenance, every effort was made to ensure these special holiday services remained on schedule for the Sunday morning departures.
Local Jobs: RRB Group D Update
Beyond the tracks, there is a buzz at the Hubballi divisional offices regarding the RRB Group D (CEN 09/2025) recruitment. With over 22,000 vacancies announced nationwide, the Hubballi region has been allotted 90 dedicated posts for Level-1 positions.
Local aspirants have been closely monitoring their application status this week, with exams expected to ramp up through the rest of May. For many in the city, the sight of the DRM inspecting tracks on Saturday wasn’t just about maintenance—it was a glimpse into the demanding roles of the Track Maintainers and Pointsmen currently being recruited.
The tracks were handed back for normal operations around 5:00 PM on May 2. According to the DRM’s office, these coordinated “Mega” efforts are the only way to handle major infrastructure upgrades without shutting down the line for days at a time.
