India approves capacity expansion projects worth $US 1bn

Additional tracks will be laid on three lines, increasing passenger and freight capacity.

Projects include improvements to the Gondia - Jabalpur line.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/Hari Mahidhar

INDIA's Union Cabinet has approved three capacity expansion projects worth a total of Rs 90.2bn ($US 992.3m), which will add 307 track-km to the Indian Railways (IR) network in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

The projects are planned to be completed by 2030-31 and comprise:

track doubling of the Gondia (Maharashtra) - Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) line
track quadrupling of the Punarakh - Kiul line in Bihar, and
track quadrupling of the Ganharia - Chandil line in Jharkhand.

IR says the projects will improve rail connectivity to several major pilgrimage and tourist destinations including the Kachnar Shiv Temple at Jabalpur, the Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh, and the Dalma wildlife sanctuary in Jharkhand.

The lines are also major routes for freight, especially of coal, steel, iron ore, cement, ballast and gravel, fly ash, fertiliser and dolomite. Increasing line capacity is expected to result in 52 million tonnes of additional freight traffic every year, as well as a reduction in oil imports and CO₂ emissions.

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