Railways is soon going to conduct cabinet clearance of its ambitious Rs.18,000 crore project. This proposal includes fencing of the two busiest corridors of Delhi-Kolkata and Delhi-Mumbai to speed up train movements. Besides fencing, the proposal will also include track and signalling upgrades and removal of unmanned crossings from Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata routes.
Highlights of the project —
1- Train speeds will be increased to 160 km per hour in the two busiest corridors.
2- Fencing will be done on semi-high speed corridors to ensure safety and to avoid any interference on tracks.
3- After the successful implementation of 160 kmph speed, the speed can be further increased to 200 kmph.
4- As per the feasibility study, it is a financially rewarding project with a high rate of return.
5- The rate of return for Delhi-Howrah route is estimated to be 18%, while for Delhi-Mumbai corridor, it is around 14.7%.
More information —
1- The plan is expected to be considered by the cabinet next month.
2- A senior Railway Ministry in his recent interview said,”The proposal has been cleared by the extended Railway Board, Niti Aayog and the Finance Ministry. It is now waiting for the cabinet clearance after which it will commence”.
3- The overall cost for the Delhi-Kolkata route is estimated to be Rs.7,000 crore, and for Delhi-Mumbai corridor, it is Rs.11,000 crore.
4- Fencing will cost around Rs.2,200 crore.
