Rail for unserved Chhattisgarh

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a new Broad Gauge Electrified Line of 294.53-km route from Katghora to Dongargarh.

Estimated to cost Rs.5,950.47 crore, it will be implemented by a Project SPV, Chhattisgarh Katghora-Dongarhgarh Railway Limited, with equity participation by Ministry of Railways and Government of Chhattisgarh through Chhattisgarh Railway Corporation Ltd (CRCL) as well as private stakeholders.

The project will reduce congestion on the existing Jharsuguda-Nagpur route which has more than 135% average utilization as on 2014-15.

It will add nearly 30-35 MTPA capacity to system of Indian Railways which is nearly 3% of its present output.

With opening up of Raigarh District (Raigarh-Mand) to coal mining, it is expected that South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. and various end use miners will increase coal mining in Chhattisgarh State from the present 150MTPA to 250MTPA in near future. fiinews.com