Cabinet nod to four rail line projects worth Rs 8,351 cr

New Delhi: Seeking to give a boost to the railway infrastructure, the government today gave its nod to four rail line projects in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh at a cost of around Rs 8,351 crore. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gave its approval for the doubling of 189.278 km Kottavalasa-Koraput railway line with a completion cost of Rs 2,977.64 crore.[caption id=“attachment_2263134” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  New railway tracks sanctioned. AFP[/caption] It also approved doubling of 164.56 km Koraput-Singapur Road section railway line with a completion cost of Rs 2,361.74 crore and 110.22 km Jagdalpur-Koraput section railway line with a completion cost of Rs 1,839.02 crore. The demand of goods traffic on these existing single lines was increasing over a period due to increase of production of goods and minerals in the vast catchment and subsequent transportation requirement. Doubling of these lines will greatly ease the ever increasing freight traffic between these sections thereby increasing the revenue of railways. These projects are likely to be completed in the next seven years during 12th and 13th Plan period. Koraput district of Odisha, Vizianagaram and Vishakaphatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh will be benefited through the rail line doubling project of Kottavalasa-Koraput. The Koraput-Singapur Road section railway line doubling is expected to greatly ease the ever increasing freight traffic between these sections and raise the revenue of Railways. The project is likely to be completed in the next seven years during 12th and 13th Plan period. Koraput and Rayagada districts of Odisha will be benefited through this project. The existing line Koraput-Singapur Road is used as a transportation corridor of goods traffic mainly for minerals and mine products. Jagdalpur-Koraput section railway line will benefit Odisha’s Koraput district and Bastar in Chhattisgarh. Besides the Union Cabinet also gave its approval for third and fourth lines between Budhapank and Salegaon via Rajathgarh railway line. This 85 km long stretch will cost a sum of of Rs 1,172.92 crore. The project is likely to be completed in the next three years during 12th and 13th Plan period. Angul, Dhenkanal and Cuttack districts of Odisha will be benefited through this project. Budhapank junction is located on Sambalpur-Angul-Cuttack section and Salegaon on Angul-Nergundi section and the existing line is catering to the originating traffic from Mahanadi Coal Fields to the Paradip and Vishakhapatnam ports. PTI