The Hindu Business Line : No final nod yet for rail freight corridor

The final Cabinet approval for the dedicated rail freight corridor appears to be elusive for the Railway Ministry. When the Railway Ministry approached the Cabinet Committee for Economic Affairs (CCEA) for a final approval for the project, the CCEA just reiterated its “in-principle approval” on Monday. Incidentally, in February 2006, CCEA had already accorded in-principle approval to the Eastern and Western rail freight corridors.

Briefing the media here, Mr P. Chidambaram, Union Finance Minister, said, “The CCEA had gave in-principle approval to the dedicated multi-modal high axle load freight corridor (DFC) project on Eastern Corridor (estimated cost - Rs 11,589 crore) and Western Corridor (estimated cost – Rs 16,592 crore) at an estimated total cost of Rs 28,181 crore.”

The whole corridor will be having computerised train control system.

Eastern side

On Eastern side, the corridor will be from Ludhiana and Sonnagar and on Western side, it will connect the Jawaharlal Nehru port near Mumbai to Tughlakabad/Dadri near Delhi.

The completion period of the project is expected to be five years, he said. The official press release also referred to the “in-principle” approval of February 2006.

It stated: The Eastern corridor as approved by the CCEA in its meeting on February 21, 2006, will start from Ludhiana in Punjab and terminate at Sonnagar, via Ambala, Sharanpur, Khurja and Allahabad.

However, in view of the representation from the West Bengal Government and also considering the possibility of increase in freight traffic on account of proposed deep-sea port, Eastern Corridor will be extended up to the proposed port in Kolkata area.

RITES is conducting a pre-feasibility study of Sonnagar-Kolkata portion of the Eastern Corridor. CCEA will be approached for the approval of extension project after completion of the study, it said.

More Stories on : Railways | Supply Chain Management

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
SITA to run Bangalore Intl Airport’s baggage system

AAI told to fully utilise funds in XI Plan

Watch Sivaji on board Singapore Airlines’ flights

GMR airport COO quits

Chennai box terminal operations returning to normalcy

Feeder operators plan to levy congestion surcharge

Flash strike affects Kochi port operations

Concor offers package to N. Indian importers using Kolkata dock

‘Postal network should use tech for new services’

Sical gets FIPB nod for investment in arm

No final nod yet for rail freight corridor

SC dismisses TN bus operators’ plea

‘Indian food biz will be driven by over 80 m consumers’