Indian Railways has approved the Kiul-Jhajha third line project covering 54 km at a cost of Rs 9.62 billion (bn), marking a major capacity augmentation on the Howrah–Delhi high density corridor. The project forms part of the High Traffic Density Network and is intended to ease persistent congestion and enhance operational efficiency for both passenger and freight services. The approval follows planning assessments that identified the section as requiring additional infrastructure to accommodate rising demand.

The Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said the additional line will significantly increase carrying capacity and improve punctuality and flexibility of train operations on the heavily utilised corridor. He indicated that the extra infrastructure will facilitate smoother movement of passenger trains and freight rakes while supporting regional industrial growth and trade connectivity. The scheme is therefore expected to yield benefits for mobility and logistics across eastern and northern India.

Presently the double line between Kiul and Jhajha is operating beyond optimal capacity utilisation and faces recurring congestion during peak periods, prompting the need for the third line. The 54 km addition aims to reduce bottlenecks, shorten recovery times for delayed services and enable more efficient scheduling across the route. Enhanced capacity will also support freight flows to major industrial and logistics hubs and improve links between Patna and Kolkata. The corridor has been identified under Indian Railways' High Traffic Density Network owing to its strategic importance.

The route provides critical connectivity between Kolkata and Haldia ports and Raxaul on the India–Nepal border and carries substantial freight linked to installations such as Barh STPP, Jawahar STPP and Birganj ICD. Completion of the project is expected to deliver long term infrastructure support, lower congestion and bolster the reliability of rail transport between key economic centres. The investment underscores Indian Railways' focus on strengthening freight corridors and passenger mobility on major arterial routes.