New Delhi, June 17: In a significant move to boost rail capacity and strengthen connectivity, Indian Railways has approved the Adipur-Bhuj doubling project in Gujarat at a cost of ₹493 crore. Additionally, a ₹172 crore project for the Somatne-Chikhli cord line has been sanctioned to alleviate congestion at the Panvel Junction in Maharashtra. This information was shared in an official statement released on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the completion of the 49-kilometer double rail line project in Gujarat will enable the operation of two additional passenger trains in both directions daily. Furthermore, the Adipur-Bhuj section will facilitate the transportation of approximately 1.2 crore tons of extra freight annually.
This project has been approved under Indian Railways’ capacity expansion program. The railway is preparing to meet the future demands for passenger and freight traffic through doubling, tripling, and other network expansion initiatives across the country.
Currently, the Adipur-Bhuj section operates as a single-line rail route within the Gandhidham-Naliya corridor. Due to several ongoing rail projects in the area, a significant increase in traffic is expected in the near future. These projects include gauge conversion between Bhuj and Naliya, extension of the Naliya-Vayor rail line, and the construction of new rail lines between Naliya-Jakhau, Vayor-Lakhpat, and Deshalpar-Luna.
Once these projects are completed, there will be a notable increase in both passenger and freight traffic on the Bhuj-Adipur section. Keeping this in mind, the doubling of this rail segment has been approved to ensure adequate capacity for future demand and enhance operational efficiency.
Similarly, the 3.7-kilometer Somatne-Chikhli cord line project, costing ₹172 crore, will restore a long-lost critical rail link between Chikhli on the Karjat route and Somatne on the Roha route.
The new line will provide direct rail connectivity between the Karjat and Roha corridors. Trains will no longer need to enter Panvel Junction or change engines.
Panvel is regarded as the busiest railway junction in the Mumbai region, receiving rail traffic from four major directions, including Roha, JNPT, Karjat, and Diva.
Currently, the lack of direct rail connectivity between the Karjat and Roha routes forces trains to pass through Panvel Junction, leading to operational challenges and increased congestion.
With the establishment of the new cord line, both routes will be directly connected, facilitating smoother train operations and enhancing the efficiency of the railway network.
The new line is expected to develop the capacity to handle approximately 90 lakh tons of additional freight traffic annually.
Moreover, each freight train will save about 110 minutes, significantly improving the speed of freight transportation and logistics efficiency.
This project is particularly crucial for freight transport linked to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), which manages about 60 percent of the country’s container traffic.
Currently, freight trains operating between Karjat, Jassai, and Roha must change engines at Panvel Junction. Once the new cord line is operational, freight trains will be able to bypass Panvel, resulting in substantial operational benefits.
Indian Railways has also approved the reconstruction of the Road Over Bridge (ROB) located at the Indore yard in Madhya Pradesh, known as the classical bridge, with an expenditure of ₹139 crore. This bridge will enhance the city’s transportation system and strengthen rail and road connectivity.
This project has been approved under Indian Railways’ infrastructure development programs, which aim to improve safety and traffic flow at railway crossings through the construction of road over bridges, road under bridges, and other related initiatives.
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