Barbil: In a major infrastructure push for the state of Odisha, Indian Railways has approved the doubling of the six km-long Barbil-Bolanikhadan line in the Chakradharpur Division of South Eastern Railway (SER).
The project has been approved at a completion cost of Rs 122 crore to strengthen rail infrastructure on an important mineral movement corridor.
The project will facilitate additional freight traffic of 8.9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) on this stretch after commissioning of the project, the railways has said in a statement. The doubling will also help reduce delays to freight trains.
The Barbil-Bolanikhadan section has been identified under the “Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor” of Indian Railways.
The existing section is a single-line section and currently carries about 9 MTPA, comprising about 6 loaded rakes per day of originating iron ore traffic. The traffic is entirely for high-grade ore and pellets moving from SAIL’s Bolani mines and private sidings (Rungta, Khatau Narbheram) to major steel plants and ports.
According to the railways, doubling this 6 km stretch, ahead of the full realisation of SAIL’s mine expansion and port/plant capacity additions, will help to prevent the capacity constraints in the designated mineral corridor.
“The approved work will support the growing freight requirements, improve rail connectivity for movement of iron ore to steel plants and ports, and strengthen rail capacity as mining, industrial and port activities expand in the region,” the statement said.
“It will also strengthen the Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor and support smoother movement of freight on this important route,” it added.
