- News Updates
- PSU Watch
- Defence News
- Policy Watch
- हिन्दी न्यूज़
- Jobs Watch
- States News
- Event News
New Delhi: The Ministry of Railways has approved three major infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 1,131 crore on Tuesday. These projects aimed at strengthening railway communication systems, modernising signalling infrastructure and enhancing line capacity across key railway corridors in eastern India.
The projects, sanctioned for South Eastern Railway, Eastern Railway and East Central Railway, are expected to improve operational efficiency, enhance safety standards and support growing passenger and freight traffic.
Follow The PSUWatch Channel on WhatsApp
In the largest of the three approvals, Indian Railways has sanctioned the doubling of the 44.40-km Mansi-Saharsa section of East Central Railway at an estimated cost of Rs 499 crore.
The Mansi-Saharsa stretch, located on the Mansi-Saraigarh route, presently operates as a single-line section and handles substantial passenger and freight traffic. The corridor currently accommodates 24 pairs of passenger trains in each direction while also serving as an important freight route for commodities such as wheat, maize, ballast, boiled rice, cement, fertilisers, rice, salt, sand, stone and sugar.
According to official data, the existing line capacity utilisation has reached 108.11 percent and is expected to increase to 119.34 percent by 2028-29, highlighting the need for additional rail infrastructure.
The doubling project is expected to ease congestion, improve train punctuality and operational flexibility, and facilitate the movement of an additional 1.764 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight traffic after commissioning.
Indian Railways has also approved a Rs 200 crore project for the provision of balance 48-fibre Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) across South Eastern Railway.
The project will provide OFC connectivity over 1,696.2 route kilometres (RKm) covering four divisions of South Eastern Railway.
The division-wise coverage includes:
Adra Division: 545.4 RKm
Ranchi Division: 418.6 RKm
Chakradharpur Division: 392.3 RKm
Kharagpur Division: 339.9 RKm
The fibre optic network is expected to strengthen the communication backbone of railway operations by enabling faster transmission of operational data and improving coordination among stations, control offices and field units.
The upgraded communication infrastructure will also support the deployment of modern railway technologies and provide the digital foundation required for future capacity expansion and technology-driven operations.
Follow PSU Watch on LinkedIN
In another significant move aimed at enhancing railway safety, Indian Railways has sanctioned a Rs 432 crore project for the replacement of relay-based interlocking systems with Electronic Interlocking (EI) at 27 stations and cabins, including one Intermediate Block Signalling (IBS) location, in the Asansol Division of Eastern Railway.
The project involves replacing 28 existing relay-based interlocking installations, comprising 27 panel or route relay interlocking systems and one IBS installation, with computer-based electronic interlocking systems.
The work forms part of Indian Railways' broader initiative to modernise signalling infrastructure on High Density Network (HDN) and Highly Utilised Network (HUN) routes, where advanced systems such as Kavach, Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) and Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) are being implemented.
Electronic Interlocking technology offers higher reliability, quicker fault diagnosis, reduced maintenance requirements and greater operational flexibility compared to conventional relay-based systems.
(PSU Watch is India's Business News centre that places the spotlight on PSUs, Bureaucracy, Defence and Public Policy. 👉 Click to join our channel now: PSUWatch WhatsApp Channel. Prefer LinkedIn? Follow PSU Watch on LinkedIN. Click to stay connected on Twitter here and stay updated)
