Indian Railways has approved the 6 km Barbil-Bolanikhadan doubling project of South Eastern Railway at a completion cost of Rs. 1.22 bn. The work is intended to strengthen rail infrastructure on an important mineral movement corridor and support rising freight demand in the region.

The project will facilitate additional freight traffic of 8.9 MTPA on the section after commissioning and is expected to reduce delays affecting freight trains. The Barbil-Bolanikhadan route has been identified as part of Indian Railways’ Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor, which is designed to support the movement of key industrial commodities.

The existing section is single-line and currently carries about 9 MTPA, including roughly six loaded rakes a day of originating iron ore traffic. The traffic consists entirely of high-grade ore and pellets transported from SAIL’s Bolani mines and private sidings operated by Rungta and Khatau Narbheram to major steel plants and ports.

The doubling work is planned ahead of the full realisation of SAIL’s mine expansion and additional port and plant capacity. It is intended to prevent capacity constraints on the designated mineral corridor as mining, industrial and port activities grow in the region.

The approved project will improve rail connectivity for iron ore shipments to steel plants and ports while increasing operational capacity on the route. Indian Railways said the work would support future freight requirements, strengthen the Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor and enable smoother movement of cargo across the mineral-producing belt.