Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) which met here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the doubling of the 111.20 km Rajkot-Kanalus railway line project, estimated to cost Rs.1,080.58 crore.
“Doubling of the section will increase the capacity and as a result, more traffic can be introduced on the system and help in the all-round development of Saurashtra region,” a Railway ministry note later claimed.
The doubling project with a projected completion cost of Rs Rs.1,168.13 crore is likely to be completed in four years. The existing goods traffic handled on the section mainly consists of coal, cement, fertilizer, food grains, etc. A substantial amount of goods traffic by big industries like Reliance Petroleum, ESSAR oil and Tata Chemical is likely in future, according to the ministry.
Giving reason for taking up the project, the government noted that the single line Broad Gauge (BG) section between Rajkot – Kanalus has become over-saturated and there is a need for an additional parallel BG line to ease out operational working.
“Thirty pairs of passenger and mail and express trains ply on the section. The existing line capacity utilization with the maintenance block is up to 157.5 per cent. Detention to both goods and passenger traffic will be reduced considerably after doubling of the section,” the Railway ministry further added.