Taking advantage of the nationwide lockdown imposed by the Centre to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Indian Railways bas now completed 200 pending projects of major importance. With the lockdown initiated across the country on March 25, this allowed the Railways to complete pending maintenance works which included yard remodelling, repair and re-girdering of old bridges, doubling and electrification of rails and, renewal of scissor crossovers.

Known to have been in a state of limbo from being completed, these projects were often presented as bottlenecks, as per the Railway Ministry. It is to be noted that a stoppage in traffic was necessary for the maintenance works to be finished. The Ministry in a statement said, "Such projects were take up during the lockdown, considering it once in a lifetime opportunity to execute them without affecting the train service,".

Among the works that have been completed are the rebuilding of 82 bridges, construction or strengthening of 16 foot overbridges, 7 road overbridges being launched, dismantling of 14 old foot overbridges (FOBs), five yard remodeling, building 48 limited height road under bridge to replace level crossing gates, commissioning of doubling of one project and 26 other projects.

Railways has also said that the yard modification work at Jolarpettai in the Chennai division was completed on May 21. As a result, the curve had been eased out, which allows for the speed to be enhanced by up to 60 kmph and in turn has facilitated simultaneous reception and dispatch. The foot overbridgeat Ludhiana, which was deemed unsafe, was also dismantled on May 5. The Ministry said, "Dismantling of this 135-meter abandoned FOB over 19 tracks and seven passenger platforms was due since 2014,". Likewise, on May 3, the re-girdering of the bridge on Tunga river in the Mysuru division was cleared. The unsafe deck of Kopar Road ROB near Dombivali in the Mumbai division had been dismantled on April 30.