Railways sanctions Rs 962 crore to build rail line between Kiul & Jhajha

Patna: In a major boost to railway infrastructure in Bihar and along the high-density Delhi-Howrah corridor, the railways on Tuesday sanctioned Rs 962 crore for the construction of a proposed third railway line between Kiul and Jhajha under the Danapur division of the East Central Railway (ECR). The 54-km stretch is considered strategically important for enhancing rail capacity and improving connectivity in eastern India.Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the project would significantly strengthen rail connectivity by providing smoother access to Haldia Port in Kolkata and improving links to Raxaul and the Nepal-bordering regions. “The additional line infrastructure will facilitate seamless movement of passenger and freight trains while supporting industrial growth and trade connectivity across the region,” he said.According to the ECR’s chief public relations officer (CPRO) Saraswati Chandra, the Kiul-Jhajha route is a crucial part of the busy Delhi-Howrah mainline route, one of the most congested railway corridors in the country. “Thus, the addition of a third line will help ease traffic congestion, improve punctuality of trains and facilitate faster movement of both passengers and freight traffic operations,” he said, adding that the Railway Board has already approved the plan to construct third and fourth railway lines along the entire DDU-Patna-Jhajha mainline route, a stretch of 400km, in a phased manner. Several stretches under the project have already received approval.The previously sanctioned sections included Fatuha-Bakhtiyarpur (24km), Bakhtiyarpur-Punarkh (30km) and Punarkh-Kiul (50km). “However, with the latest approval for the Kiul-Jhajha third line, the railways has moved another step closer towards completing the larger corridor expansion project,” the CPRO said, adding that the entire multi-phase project is estimated to cost around Rs 17,000 crore and is expected to play a vital role in strengthening freight operations, passenger movement and regional economic growth across Bihar and eastern India.