Indian Railways approves Rs 122 crore Barbil-Bolanikhadan line doubling

Indian Railways has approved a Rs 122 crore project to double the six-kilometre Barbil-Bolanikhadan line in the Chakradharpur Division of the South Eastern Railway in Odisha. The project is part of the Railways’ Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor, designed to strengthen infrastructure for essential mineral movement.

The existing single-line section currently handles approximately 9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of traffic, consisting of about six loaded rakes per day. This traffic primarily includes high-grade iron ore and pellets moving from SAIL’s Bolani mines and private sidings, such as Rungta and Khatau Narbheram, to major steel plants and ports.

Once commissioned, the doubling is expected to facilitate an additional 8.9 MTPA of freight traffic. The investment aims to prevent capacity constraints and reduce delays as mining, industrial, and port activities expand in the region, specifically ahead of planned expansions at SAIL mines and increased plant capacities.