Railways approves ₹440 crore third line project to boost freight capacity on South Eastern Railway
New Delhi, July 23
Indian Railways has approved a ₹440 crore project to construct a 14.52-km third railway line between Nimpura West Outer Cabin and Midnapur on South Eastern Railway, a move aimed at increasing freight capacity and easing congestion on one of the country's high-utilisation rail corridors.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the project is expected to support an additional freight traffic of 3.52 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) while improving the movement of passenger and freight trains on the route.
The sanctioned project forms part of Indian Railways' efforts to augment capacity on high-density routes to facilitate faster movement of passenger and freight services while meeting the growing transportation needs of industries and essential commodities.
The section is part of the High Utilisation Network (HUN-2) route. While doubling works are already underway on the Nimpura West Outer Cabin-Gokulpur section, the additional third line is expected to further enhance line capacity and improve operational flexibility on the corridor.
According to the ministry, the route currently handles nearly 23.80 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight traffic, transporting commodities such as coal, iron ore, manganese, steel, cement, fertilisers, petroleum products, containers, wheat, limestone, rice and edible oil.
The ministry said the existing section is operating at 115.71 per cent line capacity utilisation, indicating heavy congestion. The third line is expected to create additional capacity to accommodate rising passenger and freight traffic while improving operational efficiency.
Upon completion, the project is expected to strengthen the movement of coal, iron ore, steel, cement and other essential commodities by reducing operational bottlenecks, improving network reliability and enhancing connectivity for industries and businesses dependent on the corridor.
The ministry said the approval reflects Indian Railways' continued focus on expanding capacity across high-density routes to support faster movement of freight and passengers while building a more efficient and future-ready railway network that supports economic growth.
— ANI
Reader Comments
440 crore for 14.52 km? That's about ₹30 crore per km. Seems steep but given the congestion and the fact it's on a high-utilisation route, probably worth it. Coal and steel movement from the eastern belt will get a big boost.
Good move from Indian Railways. Third lines are often overlooked but they make a huge difference in dense corridors. This should reduce bottlenecks for both coal rakes and passenger trains.
Impressive that they're moving 23.8 MTPA already and will add 3.5 MTPA more. But as a passenger, I hope they also clear the backlog of train cancellations that plague this region during peak seasons. Freight shouldn't come at the cost of passenger comfort.
This is exactly the kind of targeted investment India needs. High-density corridors benefit the most from small but strategic capacity additions. Should help reduce transit times for essential goods.
Good project but why only 14.52 km? This section is part of a longer corridor that needs similar upgrades. Hope they extend this to other congested stretches around Kharagpur and Tatanagar as well. Partial solutions don't help in the long run.
As someone who travels on this route
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