Centre approves doubling of Rajkot-Kanalus, Nimach-Ratlam rly lines

New Delhi: The government on Wednesday approved the doubling of the Rajkot-Kanalus railway line in Gujarat and the Nimach-Ratlam railway line in Madhya Pradesh.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The total estimated cost of the project will be Rs 1,080.58 crore and its escalated completion cost is Rs 1,168.13 crore, the government said in a statement after the meeting. The total length of doubling of the line is 111.20 km and the project will be completed in four years.

Speaking to reporters in Gujarat via video conferencing, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the doubling of the 111-km railway line between Rajkot and Kanalus in Gujarat's Jamnagar and Saurashtra region will create new economic possibilities and improve passenger facilities.

"The project of doubling of Rajkot-Kanalus railway line will create new economic possibilities in Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Sikka, Okha and Jamnagar, with heavy industrialisation, ports and cultural values. People will get better facilities with these projects," he said. The single railway line is currently running at 157 per cent capacity, with 30 pairs of passenger trains and eight pairs of goods trains, and the track is saturated, he said.

"With doubling, the track capacity will increase, and we will be able to provide more services in the region," the minister said. The railway line between Rajkot and Kanalus currently handles goods traffic comprising coal, cement, fertiliser and food grains.

With the doubling, it projects substantial goods traffic from big industries such as Reliance Petroleum, ESSAR Oil and Tata Chemicals, the government release said.

"Doubling of the section will increase the capacity and more traffic can be introduced on the system. The proposed doubling from Rajkot to Kanalus would lead to the all-round development of the Saurashtra region," it said.