Kolkata: The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned Final Location Surveys for three new railway line projects in West Bengal, covering a total length of 178 km, marking the first formal step towards expanding rail connectivity to enhance throughput and socio-economic development in the region.
According to Eastern Railway, the approved surveys are for the 73-km Siuri–Nala line via Rajnagar and Bakreshwar Dham, the 27-km Arambagh–Khanakul line, and the 78-km Rasulpur–Jangalpara line.
The proposed Siuri–Nala line is aimed at providing direct rail connectivity between Birbhum district in West Bengal and Jamtara in Jharkhand. The alignment includes areas such as Rajnagar and Bakreshwar Dham, which at present rely largely on road transport.
The Arambagh–Khanakul line, both in Hooghly district, is intended to improve connectivity between the two locations, where travel is currently dependent on road links that are often slow and affected by congestion and seasonal factors.
For the Rasulpur–Jangalpara project, a Final Location Survey will be conducted for a new bypass line to connect the main line at Rasulpur with the chord line at Palla Road, eliminating the need for engine reversal.
The proposal also includes a rail-over-rail bridge to link the down Howrah–Barddhaman Chord line with the Masagram–Bankura line, the conversion of Mathnashipur Halt into a block station, and a new line connection from Mathnashipur to Jangalpara on the Tarakeshwar–Arambagh section.
Railway officials said the direct Rasulpur–Jangalpara connectivity via Mathnashipur would provide an alternative route for passenger and light freight trains, reducing dependence on longer routes through existing junctions in the Eastern and South Eastern
Railway networks.