Indian Railways okays Rs 440 crore project for 3rd line on high-density route
New Delhi, July 23
Indian Railways has approved the construction of a 14.52 km third line between Nimpura West Outer Cabin and Midnapur in South Eastern Railway at a cost of Rs 440 crore to enhance capacity on this busy corridor, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.
The project forms part of Indian Railways' continued efforts to augment network capacity on high-density routes to facilitate faster movement of passenger and freight trains while supporting the growing transportation needs of industries and essential commodities, the statement said.
Upon completion, the project is expected to facilitate additional freight traffic movement of 3.52 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
The section forms part of the High Utilisation Network (HUN-2) route, where the Nimpura West Outer Cabin-Gokulpur section is presently a single line, while doubling works are already in progress. The additional third line will substantially augment line capacity and improve operational flexibility on this strategically important corridor, the statement explained.
The route carries substantial volumes of passenger as well as freight traffic transporting key commodities including manganese, iron ore, containers, coal, clinker, pellet iron, iron and steel, wheat, stone, sleepers, slag, salt, rice, petroleum products, limestone, gypsum, fertilisers, edible oil, chemical salt, charcoal, cement, ballast and ash, with an overall freight loading of nearly 23.80 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
The existing section is operating at a line capacity utilisation of 115.71 per cent, indicating severe congestion. The third line will create additional capacity to accommodate growing passenger and freight traffic while improving operational efficiency across the corridor.
The enhanced infrastructure will improve movement of essential commodities, reduce operational bottlenecks, increase network reliability and strengthen connectivity for industries and businesses dependent on this important rail corridor.
The approval reflects Indian Railways' sustained focus on capacity augmentation across high-density routes, enabling faster movement of freight and passengers while supporting economic growth through a modern, efficient and future-ready railway network, the statement added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Rs 440 crore for just 14.52 km? That's roughly Rs 30 crore per km. For a third line, that seems a bit steep. Hope the money is well spent and not just padding contractors' pockets. 🤔
Great to see Indian Railways investing in high-density corridors. The 3.52 MTPA additional freight capacity will definitely help industries. But I hope they also focus on modern signalling to get even better throughput from this line.
This is a game-changer for eastern India's freight movement! Manganese, iron ore, coal — all critical for steel and power sectors. But railway should also think about passenger comfort on this route. Many local trains get delayed because of freight priority.
115% capacity utilisation is insane. That's like running a factory at full tilt and then some. Good that they're finally adding capacity. But how long will it take to complete? Hope it's not another 10-year project like some others.
As someone from West Bengal, this is welcome news for our region's economy. The list of commodities is huge — fertilisers, food grains, petroleum products. This third line will definitely ease logistics for small businesses too. 👌
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