Railways unveils Rs. 4.2 lakh-cr plan to multi-track busiest routes
In order to decongest the busiest rail routes, the Indian Railways has rolled out a Rs 4.2 lakh crore mega plan for multi-tracking of seven high density corridors, including Delhi-Howrah, Mumbai-Howrah, Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Guwahati, Delhi-Chennai, Howrah-Chennai and Mumbai-Chennai. The objective is to facilitate faster passenger trains and expedite freight movement. In a proposal submitted to the Union Cabinet, the railway ministry has claimed that the programme, spanning from 2024-25 to 2033-34, will involve the doubling and laying of third and fourth line on different stretches of these corridors, aligning with the traffic demand. Additionally, the plan includes the construction of flyovers and underpasses. These corridors, covering a combined length of 10,969 km, represent a mere 16% of the entire Indian Railways network. However, they handle 41% of the total railway traffic. Consequently, these high traffic volumes have resulted in huge pressure on these corridors, leaving limited space for accommodating more trains or enhancing their speed.