Indian Railways has cleared a fresh wave of big-ticket projects across Jharkhand, Punjab, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, aiming to ease congestion, boost freight capacity and make passenger journeys faster and safer.
The approvals cover line doubling, third and fourth lines, bypass links and modern signalling, underlining a nationwide push to upgrade core rail infrastructure, according to the Union Ministry of Railways.
Powering freight and industrial corridors
In Jharkhand, the Barbenda–Damrughutu doubling and Damrughutu–Bokaro Steel City 3rd and 4th lines, worth Rs 815.32 crore, will strengthen India’s crucial Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor under South Eastern Railway.
The section is already overloaded, running at 108 per cent capacity, handling 78 trains a day and 35.22MTPA of freight, with projections touching 132 per cent utilisation by 2028–29 if left unchanged.
Indian Railways aims to cut train detention of 90–150 minutes and support smoother movement of coal, steel, cement and fuel to and from Central Coalfields, oil depots and the Bokaro Steel City industrial belt, directly aiding national supply chains.
Safer, smarter operations in the North
On high-density routes of Northern Railway, Electronic Interlocking (EI) is being rolled out at 34 stations at a cost of Rs 421.41 crore, including 21 in Delhi Division and 13 in Ambala Division.
These modern systems will improve signalling reliability, support higher train frequencies and dovetail with Kavach and other train protection technologies to enhance safety.
Punjab will also see a key decongestion project with the Rs 411.96 crore Rajpura Bypass Line, which will connect the New Shambhu DFC station directly to Kauli on the Rajpura–Bathinda line, allowing freight trains to bypass the crowded Rajpura Yard.
Big gains for Kerala and Tamil Nadu
In Kerala, the Rs 324.16 crore Alappuzha–Ambalapuzha doubling removes the last single-line bottleneck on the Ernakulam–Turavur–Kayankulam stretch, enabling nine additional passenger trains in each direction, 2.88MTPA extra freight capacity and Rs 3.23 crore in annual earnings.
The Rs 163.57 crore Palakkad Town–Parli bypass will cut passenger detention by 40–44 minutes and reduce freight delays by up to 120 minutes per train by eliminating time-consuming engine reversals at Palakkad Junction.
Tamil Nadu’s Irugur–Podanur doubling (10.77km) worth Rs 277.42 crore will permit 15 more passenger trains per day, add 3.12MTPA of freight capacity and raise annual net earnings by Rs 11.77 crore, according to the railways.
With capacity on this key Chennai–Thiruvananthapuram corridor projected to hit 131 per cent by 2027–28, the upgrade will help convert the wider Chennai–Coimbatore–Podanur belt into a high-capacity four-line route, benefiting Coimbatore’s industries and new long-distance services.
