Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Indian Railways has approved the construction of a 14.52 km third line between Nimpura West Outer Cabin and Midnapur in South Eastern Railway at a cost of Rs 440 crore to enhance capacity on this busy corridor, according to an official statement issued on July 23.
The project forms part of Indian Railways’ continued efforts to augment network capacity on high-density routes to facilitate faster movement of passenger and freight trains while supporting the growing transportation needs of industries and essential commodities, the statement said.
Upon completion, the project is expected to facilitate additional freight traffic movement of 3.52 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
The section forms part of the High Utilisation Network (HUN-2) route, where the Nimpura West Outer Cabin-Gokulpur section is presently a single line, while doubling works are already in progress. The additional third line will substantially augment line capacity and improve operational flexibility on this strategically important corridor, the statement explained.
The route carries substantial volumes of passenger as well as freight traffic transporting key commodities including manganese, iron ore, containers, coal, clinker, pellet iron, iron and steel, wheat, stone, sleepers, slag, salt, rice, petroleum products, limestone, gypsum, fertilisers, edible oil, chemical salt, charcoal, cement, ballast and ash, with an overall freight loading of nearly 23.80 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
The existing section is operating at a line capacity utilisation of 115.71 per cent, indicating severe congestion. The third line will create additional capacity to accommodate growing passenger and freight traffic while improving operational efficiency across the corridor.
