Indian Railways has approved a Rs 440 crore project to build a 14.52 km third railway line between Nimpura West Outer Cabin and Midnapur on South Eastern Railway, aimed at boosting freight capacity and easing congestion on a high-utilisation corridor.
Why is the third line being built on this route?
According to the Ministry of Railways, the section currently operates at 115.71 percent line capacity utilisation, signalling heavy congestion. The route handles nearly 23.80 million tonnes per annum of freight traffic, carrying coal, iron ore, manganese, steel, cement, fertilisers, petroleum products, containers, wheat, limestone, rice and edible oil. The new line is expected to add freight capacity of 3.52 million tonnes per annum while improving movement of both passenger and freight trains.
How does this fit into Indian Railways’ capacity expansion plans?
The project falls under the High Utilisation Network (HUN2) route and complements ongoing doubling works on the Nimpura West Outer Cabin to Gokulpur section. The ministry said the approval reflects a continued focus on expanding capacity across high-density corridors to support faster freight and passenger movement nationwide.
What impact will the project have on freight movement?
Once completed, the third line is expected to reduce operational bottlenecks, improve network reliability and strengthen connectivity for industries dependent on the corridor, particularly those moving coal, iron ore, steel and cement. The project is aimed at supporting rising freight and passenger demand while building a more efficient rail network for the region.
