The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved construction of a new railway line between Sahjanwa and Dohrighat (81.17 Km) at an estimated cost of Rs. 1319.75crore that will help improve connectivity in Uttar pradesh.
The project, which will be executed by Construction Orgzation of North Eastern Railway, will be completed by 2023-24, an official release said.
"The project area is densely populated, economically backward and is deficient in road transport facilities. The proposed project will provide rail facility to the people of the area falling under the project line and will help in growth of small-scale industries in the area. This project will also generate direct employment during construction for about 19.48 lakh mandays," it said.
"Alignment from Sahjanwa to Dohrighat lies mostly in Gorakhpur district and very small area in Mau district in Uttar Pradesh. Indara-Dohrighat gauge conversion has already been sanctioned and this approval for new line for Dohrighat- Sahjanwa will complete the missing link and provide an alternate route avoiding Gorakhpur," it added
The note further said that after completion of this connectivity, alternate route connecting Chhapra to Lucknow avoiding congestion at Gorakhpur will be available. Hence, this project is needed for better socio-economic development of the hinterland of this backward area with the help of rail transport.
In a boost to rail connectivity between Allahabad (now Prayagraj) to Mughalsarai, (now Pt. DeenDayal Upadhyaya Jn.) (Length 150 km), the CCEA approved construction of a third railway line at an estimated cost of Rs. 2649.44 crore.
The project will be completed by 2023-24 and will be executed by Construction Orgzation of North Central. the release said.
The note said, "The project will help cope up with the future traffic and remove capacity constraints. At present number of passenger and goods trains in this section are far more than its capacity, resulting in heavy detention to trains. This project will enhance capacity, reduce detention and cater for future growth of traffic."
"Construction of approved third Line between Allahabad and Mughalsarai will also ease traffic congestion at Chheoki, Naini and improve the punctuality of goods and passenger trains on vital route connecting National capital. This project will also generate direct employment during construction for about 36 lakh mandays," it said.
( With inputs from ANI )