The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved three new railway projects, with a combined investment of over ₹6,000 crore, giving a boost to rail connectivity in Uttar Pradesh and Assam.
The three projects — an 81.17 km new railway line between Sahjanwa and Dohrighat (U.P.), doubling of 142.97 km New Bongaigaon-Agthori line (Assam) and construction of a 150-km-long third railway line between Allahabad and Mughalsarai are expected to generate a total direct employment of 89.79 lakh man-days during the construction period.
The Centre said the new line connecting Dohrighat to Sahjanwa is expected to generate an employment of 19.48 lakh man-days and would be completed by 2023-24 by the Construction Organization of North Eastern Railway.
The project is expected to help “cope up with the future traffic and remove capacity constraints,” the government said.
“The project area is densely populated, economically backward and is deficient in road transport facilities,” the government said in a release. “The proposed project will provide rail facility to the people of the area falling under the project line and will help in growth of small-scale industries in the area.”
The proposed third line between Allahabad and Mughalsarai (now Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction), which will be executed by Construction Organization of North Central Railway, is targeted for completion by 2023-24 at a cost of ₹2,649.44 crore.
The project is expected to help “cope up with the future traffic and remove capacity constraints,” the government said, adding that at present the number of passenger and goods trains operating in this section exceeded its capacity, resulting in heavy detention of trains. “This project will enhance capacity, reduce detention and cater for future growth of traffic. Construction of approved third line will also ease traffic congestion at Chheoki, Naini and improve the punctuality of goods and passenger trains on a vital route connecting the national capital.”
Assam to benefit
The CCEA has also approved doubling of the line linking New Bongaigaon with Agthori via Rangiya, at an estimated cost of ₹2,042.51 crore. The project, to be completed by 2022-23, will be executed by the Construction Organization of Northeast Frontier Railway and traverse through Bongaigaon, Baksa, Barpeta, Nalbari and Kamrup districts.
“The line capacity utilization of the section between New Bongaigaon and Agthori via Rangiya is more than 100%,” the government said. “Traffic on this section will further increase as Rangiya-Murkongselek Broad Gauge line has already been commissioned in 2015-16 and Bogibeel Bridge new line has been commissioned recently. To remove the existing capacity constraints of existing network and to handle the increasing freight and passenger traffic, doubling of New Bongaigaon – Agthori via Rangiya is required,” it said.
This project would also ease the growing through traffic into the northeast region and ensure savings due to faster mobility through the proposed double line section.
Published - July 17, 2019 10:40 pm IST
