Easier Trade and Better Transit Take Centre Stage in India-Nepal Talks

Indian Railways has approved a series of infrastructure projects in Maharashtra and Telangana aimed at expanding railway capacity, improving connectivity and facilitating faster movement of passenger and freight traffic.

The projects include the doubling of the 10.86-km Chouk-Karjat railway section of Central Railway at an estimated cost of Rs 497 crore and the construction of a 38.21-km new rail line between Mukutban in Adilabad and Gadchandur in South Central Railway at a cost of Rs 493 crore.

According to an official statement, the Central Railway project includes capacity augmentation through doubling, tripling, quadrupling, flyover and bypass works.

The Chouk-Karjat section is part of the Panvel-Chouk-Karjat route, an important corridor for both passenger and freight movement. Once completed, the project is expected to enable the operation of five additional passenger trains in each direction every day.

The upgraded section is also expected to support an additional 18.35 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight traffic and help reduce the detention of freight trains, improving the overall efficiency of railway operations.

Meanwhile, the proposed Mukutban-Gadchandur railway line will improve connectivity between major industrial and mining centres in the region.

Mukutban in Yavatmal district and Gadchandur in Chandrapur district are home to several cement plants, coal mines operated by Western Coalfields Ltd. and nearby limestone mines. The new rail link is expected to facilitate more efficient transportation of raw materials and finished goods from these industrial clusters.

The project will provide a shorter rail route, reducing travel distance and transportation time while lowering associated transportation costs. It will also serve as an alternative route to the existing Wardha-Manikgarh section, helping decongest the network and enable smoother freight movement.

After commissioning, the new line is expected to handle around 6.08 MTPA of freight traffic and support the operation of two MEMU trains in each direction per day.

The freight traffic is expected to include coal and coke, cement, sponge iron, metal scrap, iron and steel, fertilisers and foodgrains, among other commodities.

The new line will also provide direct connectivity between the coal and cement-producing clusters and the Majri-Nanded route. This is expected to enable shorter freight leads for coal, cement and RMSP traffic towards Jalna, Parbhani, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other destinations across Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The projects are expected to strengthen rail infrastructure, improve passenger services and support more efficient freight movement across key industrial and commercial corridors.