It announced an in-principle approval for two railway freight corridors after an approval had already been granted earlier by the Cabinet last year.
NEW DELHI: Call it whatever but the government it seems is working overtime and sometimes twice over on pet projects. It announced on Tuesday an in-principle approval for two railway freight corridors after an approval had already been granted earlier by the Cabinet last year.
Tuesday’s announcement came after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs though officially it was not known why the second approval. Initially, two freight corridors will be built over a period of five years.
The Dedicated Multi-Modal High Axle Load Freight Corridor (DFC) Project on Eastern Corridor is estimated to cost Rs 11,589 crore and Western Corridor is estimated at Rs 16,592 crore. The whole corridor will be having Computerised Train Control System.
On Eastern side, the corridor will be from Ludhiana and Sonnagar and on the western side, the corridor will connect
Jawaharlal Nehru Port near Mumbai to Tughlakabad/Dadri near Delhi.
”The project will immensely benefit ports, exporters, importers, shipping lines and container operators by the western corridor and coal companies, steel plants and thermal power stations by the eastern corridor,” said an official statement.
The project will provide the must needed rail infrastructure for growth of Indian economy and EXIM trade. The project will also generate indirect employment during construction phase.
Interestingly, the government statement said the eastern corridor would be extended to Kolkata port though it added that RITES is conducting a pre-feasibility study of Sonnagar-Kolkata portion of the eastern corridor and the CCEA will be approached for the approval of extension project after completion of the study.
The Eastern Corridor as approved by the CCEA in its meeting on February 2006 will start from Ludhiana in Punjab and terminate at Sonnagar, via Ambala, Sharanpur, Khurja and Allahabad.
“However, in view of the representation from the government of West Bengal and also considering the possibility of increase in freight traffic on account of proposed deep sea port, Eastern Corridor will be extended up to the proposed port in Kolkata area,” said the statement.
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