New Delhi, September 28: Indian Railways has approved the ₹122 crore doubling of the 6-km Barbil-Bolanikhadan section of South Eastern Railway, aimed at supporting growing iron ore movement and strengthening freight capacity on a key mineral corridor.
The project is expected to facilitate an additional 8.9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight traffic on the stretch after commissioning, while also helping reduce delays to freight trains.
The Barbil-Bolanikhadan section forms part of Indian Railways’ Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor. The existing single-line section currently handles around 9 MTPA of traffic, comprising about six loaded rakes per day of originating iron ore traffic.
The traffic consists entirely of high-grade iron ore and pellets moving from SAIL’s Bolani mines and private sidings operated by Rungta and Khatau Narbheram to major steel plants and ports.
Once commissioned, the doubling project is expected to facilitate an additional 8.9 MTPA of freight traffic on a section that currently handles around 9 MTPA.
The project is being taken up ahead of the full realisation of SAIL’s mine expansion and planned additions to plant and port capacity, with the Railways seeking to prevent future capacity constraints on the designated mineral corridor.
Doubling the existing single-line stretch is also expected to reduce delays to freight trains and improve the movement of iron ore to steel plants and ports.
The project will provide additional rail capacity as mining, industrial and port activities expand in the region, while strengthening freight movement along Indian Railways’ Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor.
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