New 38.21-km Mukutban-Gadchandur line to facilitate more efficient freight movements
The Indian Railways has approved the doubling of the Chouk-Karjat railway section (10.86 km) of Central Railway in Maharashtra at a cost of Rs.497 crore. The project has been approved under the umbrella works for doubling, tripling, quadrupling, flyover and bypass works aimed at augmenting the capacity of the railway network.
The Chouk-Karjat section forms part of the Panvel-Chouk-Karjat route, which is an important corridor for both passenger and freight movement. The doubling of the section will provide additional capacity on the existing single-line stretch and help improve the movement of trains, the Ministry of Railways said on 18 Sept.
On completion of the project, the section is expected to facilitate five additional passenger trains in each direction per day. The project is also expected to support additional freight traffic of 18.35 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). It will also help reduce detention of freight trains.
The Railways has also approved the construction of the 38.21 km new rail line between Mukutban (Adilabad) and Gadchandur in South Central Railway, also in Maharashtra, at a cost of Rs.493 crore.
Mukutban in Yavatmal district and Gadchandur in Chandrapur district are important industrial and mining centres, serving several cement plants, coal mines of Western Coalfields Ltd and nearby limestone mines. The new rail line will strengthen rail connectivity to these industrial clusters and facilitate more efficient movement of freight.
The new rail line will provide a shorter and more efficient rail route, reducing travel distance, transportation time and associated costs. It will also provide an alternative route to decongest the existing Wardha-Manikgarh section, supporting smoother movement of freight traffic.
As per the Detailed Project Report, the project is expected to support 6.08 MTPA of freight traffic, along with two MEMU trains in each direction per day after commissioning. The freight traffic is expected to include coal and coke, cement, sponge iron, metal scrap, iron & steel, fertilisers and foodgrains, among other commodities.
The new line will provide direct connectivity between the coal and cement cluster and the Majri-Nanded route, facilitating shorter leads for coal, cement and RMSP traffic towards Jalna, Parbhani, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other destinations in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
The project will reduce dependence on the congested Balharshah-Nagpur High-Density Network (HDN) route, while improving rail connectivity to the relatively less-connected areas of Yavatmal and Chandrapur districts. This will support industrial and economic development in the region through enhanced rail infrastructure.
The new rail line will add capacity to the regional railway network, facilitate movement of essential commodities and provide an additional rail corridor for growing freight and passenger requirements. The project is expected to contribute to more efficient utilisation of the existing railway network while supporting industrial and regional economic activity, the Ministry said. fiinews.com
