Multiple rail infra projects approved to ease congestion, improve safety: Railway ministry

New Delhi: A comprehensive set of rail infrastructure projects has been approved aimed at eliminating congestion, enhancing line capacity, improving safety systems and enabling faster, more reliable passenger and freight movement across the country, the Railway Ministry said on Monday.

A press statement from the ministry said these approvals spanned Southern, Northern and South Eastern Railways covering line doubling, third and fourth lines, bypass corridors and advanced electronic interlocking systems.

"Barbenda–Damrughutu doubling and Damrughutu–Bokaro Steel City 3rd & 4th Lines in Jharkhand are major capacity expansion projects under South Eastern Railway and a cornerstone of India's Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor," the statement said.

It added, "Currently, the line operates at 108% utilisation, with train detention ranging between 90-150 minutes, handling 78 (38 passenger and 40 freight) trains daily and supporting a freight throughput of 35.22 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum)."

Highlighting the approval to electronic interlocking (EI) at 34 stations at the cost of Rs 421.41 crore across Northern Railway routes where Kavach is being rolled out, the ministry said that it will enhance safety and operational efficiency.

"This includes 21 stations in the Delhi Division at a cost of Rs 292.24 crore and 13 stations in the Ambala Division costing Rs 129.17 crore," the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the approval of the Rajpura bypass line (13.46 km) under the Northern Railway costing Rs 411.96 crore will significantly enhance capacity and operational efficiency on the Ambala–Jalandhar section, one of the busiest corridors on the Northern Railway.

The press note outlined two doubling projects -- Alappuzha–Ambalapuzha doubling (12.66 km) at the cost of Rs 324.16 crore in Kerala and Irugur–Podanur doubling (10.77 km) costing Rs 277.42 crore in Tamil Nadu -- saying it will significantly improve line capacity and freight operations.

Emphasising the benefits of another bypass project, Palakkad Town-Parli Bypass Line (1.80 km) worth Rs 163.57 crore, the ministry said it will provide immediate operational and passenger benefits by eliminating engine reversal at Palakkad Junction in Kerala for multiple train services.

"It will reduce average detention of passenger trains by 40-44 minutes and cut freight detention by up to 120 minutes per train, while also supporting additional passenger services planned from Palakkad Junction," the statement said.

"By streamlining train movements, the bypass will significantly improve punctuality on routes connecting Shoranur, Thiruvananthapuram and Pollachi, while easing congestion at one of Southern Railway's busiest junctions," it added.