The South Eastern Railway has accelerated infrastructure work to enable trains to run at 160 km/h on the Howrah-Mumbai trunk route. The upgrades encompass the strategic closure of level crossings, construction of river bridges and modernisation of signalling and traction across the Chakradharpur and Kharagpur divisions. Railway authorities have prioritised these measures to remove bottlenecks and enhance both speed and safety on a corridor that serves millions of passengers each year.

Tenders have been issued to close three major level crossings at Chakulia, Rakhamines and Jhargram, which presently force trains to slow down and increase accident risk. Each crossing will be replaced by an overbridge or an underpass to safeguard local connectivity while permitting higher speeds. The move follows similar works at Govindpur, Salgajhuri and Barigora where overbridges and underpasses are already under construction or have become operational.

A new railway bridge is being built over the river between Haldipokhar and Bahalda on the Tatanagar-Badampahar section to ensure uninterrupted operations during the monsoon and to reduce the waterlogging and structural risks associated with older spans. The Tatanagar-Badampahar route is important for the movement of minerals and iron ore, and the bridge is expected to streamline freight flows to industrial hubs while improving passenger service reliability. Work is being sequenced to limit disruption.

Long term plans include doubling the single line on the Tatanagar-Badampahar corridor and enlarging yards and maintenance sheds at Badampahar and Gurumahisani to handle increased traffic. Modern signalling and traction facilities were commissioned last year as part of the phased expansion. Officials noted that construction may necessitate brief power blocks but said the measures will shorten journey times, increase safety by eliminating level crossings such as the recently closed Jugsalai crossing and make services more resilient in the monsoon.