Indian Railways Approves Somtane-Chikhli Chord Line in Maharashtra

24 Jun 2026 CW Team

Indian Railways has approved the construction of the Somtane-Chikhli chord line, a 3.7 kilometre (km) link on Central Railway, at a cost of Rs 1.72 billion (Rs 1.72 bn). The new chord will bridge the missing link between Chikhli on the Karjat route and Somtane on the Roha route and will allow trains to avoid entering Panvel Junction. The alignment is intended to remove the need for engine reversal for through trains and to streamline movement between the Karjat and Roha corridors.

Panvel Junction handles traffic from four major directions, including Roha, JNPT, Karjat and Diva and has been a significant operational bottleneck for the Mumbai region. The absence of a direct chord has required many freight services to enter the junction, contributing to congestion and delays. The approved chord is designed to provide seamless connectivity and to reduce operational constraints on the network.

The project is particularly important for freight linked to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), which handles nearly 60 per cent of India's container traffic. Freight trains operating between the Karjat, Jasai and Roha corridors currently enter Panvel and undergo engine reversals before proceeding, increasing detention and turnaround times. With the commissioning of the chord, each freight train is expected to save approximately 110 minutes of detention, improving logistics efficiency and network throughput.

Completion of the chord is projected to facilitate the movement of nine million tonnes per annum (mn tpa) of additional traffic and complements the Panvel elevated chord lines on the JNPT-Karjat and JNPT-Roha sections. The project, therefore, completes a crucial missing link in western India's freight connectivity and supports multimodal connectivity and capacity augmentation. Indian Railways has continued its focus on developing efficient freight infrastructure to meet growing logistics and economic requirements.

Infrastructure Transport

24 Jun 2026

Kolkata Metro Expands Use of ABB Solutions Across Network

Kolkata Metro has strengthened its long-standing partnership with ABB by deploying advanced electrification and motion-control solutions across its expanding urban transit network to enhance operational efficiency, reliability and safety.The collaboration, spanning over 25 years, has supported the development of Kolkata Metro, India's first metro rail system, which today operates across a 72-km network with more than 300 train trips daily and serves over half a million passengers.ABB's technologies have been deployed across stations, tunnels and other critical infrastructure facilities through..

Benzoville Expands Portfolio of Luxury Cabinet Handles

Benzoville, a premium architectural hardware company, has strengthened its presence in India's luxury cabinet hardware segment with a portfolio comprising more than 53,000 cabinet handle designs sourced from leading international brands.The expanded offering comes amid growing demand for premium hardware solutions as architects, interior designers and homeowners increasingly view cabinet handles as key design elements rather than purely functional accessories.According to the company, the portfolio features products from globally recognised brands including Siro, Furnipart, Ferretto, Cosmov, C..

L&T Realty Launches Premium Housing Project in Malad

L&T Realty has expanded its presence in Mumbai's western suburbs with the launch of Ahana, a premium residential development in Malad.Located along the Western Express Highway near Kurar Metro station, the project marks the company's entry into one of Mumbai's emerging residential micro-markets. The development has been designed around the theme 'Connect with Life', with a focus on reducing commute times and enhancing everyday living experiences for urban families.The project offers connectivity to key commercial districts including Goregaon, Andheri and Bandra-Kurla Complex, while benefit..