Katni in Madhya Pradesh has achieved a landmark infrastructure feat with the commissioning of India’s longest railway viaduct, the Katni Grade Separator, built at a cost of Rs 18 billion. Spanning 33.40 kilometres, the structure is designed to transform passenger and freight movement across central India, furthering Indian Railways’ vision of sustainable and high-speed transport infrastructure.

The viaduct consists of two corridors: a 17.52 km down-grade separator still under construction, and a 15.85 km up-grade separator that has now been successfully commissioned. The newly opened stretch cleared exhaustive safety inspections, including checks on bridge structures, joints, sleepers, ballast, overhead electrification, and level crossings, benchmarked to railway standards.

A highlight of the trials was a speed run at 120 km/h, confirming the readiness of the viaduct for operations. Once fully completed, the separator will provide seamless connectivity between Bina and New Katni Junction, easing congestion, improving punctuality, and streamlining the movement of passenger and freight trains.

Railway officials said the project will reduce travel time, minimise delays caused by track conflicts, and enhance freight competitiveness. This is expected to benefit industries across central India by providing reliable rail transport, thereby reducing reliance on road haulage and cutting carbon emissions.

Beyond transport efficiency, the viaduct is anticipated to deliver wider socio-economic benefits by stimulating regional industrial growth, creating employment, and facilitating smoother logistics for coal, minerals, and agricultural produce—commodities critical to the central Indian economy.