New Delhi: Indian Railways has approved a comprehensive portfolio of rail infrastructure projects across multiple zones aimed at decongesting busy corridors, enhancing safety systems, increasing line capacity, and enabling faster, more reliable passenger and freight movement. The approvals span South Eastern, Northern and Southern Railways, covering line doubling, third and fourth lines, bypass corridors, and advanced electronic interlocking systems.
Barbenda–Damrughutu Doubling & Damrughutu–Bokaro Steel City 3rd and 4th Lines, Jharkhand
Project Cost: ₹815.32 crore
Under South Eastern Railway, the Barbenda–Damrughutu doubling and Damrughutu–Bokaro Steel City third and fourth lines form a critical capacity expansion under India’s Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor. The existing line is operating at 108% utilisation, handling 78 trains daily (38 passenger and 40 freight), with detention ranging from 90 to 150 minutes. Freight throughput on the section currently stands at 35.22 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and was projected to reach 132% utilisation by 2028–29 without intervention.
The project will strengthen rail connectivity to Central Coalfields, major steel and cement plants, HPCL and BPCL depots, and the wider Bokaro Steel City industrial ecosystem, significantly improving energy logistics, industrial output and national supply chain efficiency.
Electronic Interlocking on High-Density and Highly Utilised Routes
Project Cost: ₹421.41 crore
To enhance operational safety and capacity on busy routes, Indian Railways has approved the rollout of Electronic Interlocking (EI) at 34 stations across Northern Railway, where Kavach is being implemented. This includes 21 stations in Delhi Division (₹292.24 crore) and 13 stations in Ambala Division (₹129.17 crore).
The upgrades will improve signalling reliability, support higher train frequencies, reduce human intervention, and significantly strengthen safety on High-Density Network (HDN) and Highly Utilised Network (HUN) routes.
Rajpura Bypass Line, Punjab (13.46 km)
Project Cost: ₹411.96 crore
The Rajpura Bypass Line on Northern Railway has been approved to streamline operations on the heavily trafficked Ambala–Jalandhar section. The bypass will directly connect the New Shambhu Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) station with Kauli station on the Rajpura–Bathinda line, enabling freight trains to bypass the congested Rajpura Yard.
This will ease congestion, improve freight velocity, enhance DFC integration, and ensure smoother passenger and freight operations on one of Northern Railway’s busiest corridors.
Alappuzha–Ambalapuzha Doubling, Kerala (12.66 km)
Project Cost: ₹324.16 crore
The Alappuzha–Ambalapuzha doubling project removes a critical single-line bottleneck on the Ernakulam–Turavur–Kayankulam route. Upon completion, it will allow nine additional passenger trains per day in each direction, add 2.88 MTPA of freight capacity, and generate additional annual earnings of ₹3.23 crore.
By eliminating the last single-line stretch on this corridor, the project will reduce train detention, improve punctuality, and strengthen both inter-State passenger movement and freight flows within Kerala.
Palakkad Town–Parli Bypass Line, Kerala (1.80 km)
Project Cost: ₹163.57 crore
The Palakkad bypass line will eliminate the need for engine reversal at Palakkad Junction, delivering immediate operational benefits. Passenger train detention will reduce by 40–44 minutes, while freight train detention is expected to fall by up to 120 minutes per train.
The project will improve punctuality on routes connecting Shoranur, Thiruvananthapuram and Pollachi, while easing congestion at one of Southern Railway’s busiest junctions.
Irugur–Podanur Doubling, Tamil Nadu (10.77 km)
Project Cost: ₹277.42 crore
A major capacity upgrade for Tamil Nadu, the Irugur–Podanur doubling is a crucial link on the Chennai–Thiruvananthapuram corridor. The project will enable 15 additional passenger trains per day, increase freight capacity by 3.12 MTPA, and raise annual net earnings by ₹11.77 crore.
With current utilisation at 60%, the section is projected to reach 131% capacity by 2027–28, underlining the urgency of the project. Combined with existing and ongoing quadruplication works, this upgrade will transform the Chennai–Coimbatore–Podanur belt into a high-capacity four-line corridor, benefiting Coimbatore’s industrial base and improving terminal operations at Podanur.
Strategic Impact
Together, these approvals underline Indian Railways’ continued focus on network decongestion, safety modernisation, freight competitiveness and passenger service reliability. With timely cooperation from State Governments, the projects are expected to deliver faster journeys, higher freight efficiency, enhanced safety, and sustained economic growth across regions.
