Indian Railways has completed land acquisition for the 84-km Manikpur-Iradatganj third railway line on the Prayagraj-Mumbai route, paving the way for construction to proceed. The Ministry of Railways confirmed the development through a final Gazette notification issued on Wednesday.

The acquisition covers 3,66,877 square metres, equivalent to about 36.68 hectares, in Prayagraj. The land has been transferred to the Central government and is free from legal disputes and other obstacles, allowing the project to move forward on the acquired section.

The third-line project, being implemented under North Central Railway, has an estimated cost of Rs. 16.4 bn and is targeted for completion within four years. The additional track is designed to increase capacity on the route and support the operation of more passenger and freight services.

Authorities had initially invited objections to the acquisition of about 50.19 hectares across 25 villages in the Bara and Karchhana sub-districts of Prayagraj. Following objections from farmers and other landowners, officials conducted 24 rounds of measurements and reassessed the requirement, reducing the land needed to 36.68 hectares.

The project includes 30 major railway bridges, 19 underpasses and six road overbridges, besides connecting 12 stations along the route. The existing double-line section between Iradatganj and Manikpur is operating at more than 150 per cent of its capacity, resulting in trains being held at outer signals and causing delays to passenger and freight services. The final notification also enables compensation payments to affected farmers and landowners, while North Central Railway officials said the project would improve route capacity, reduce congestion and support better punctuality on the corridor.