| FREIGHT CORRIDORS: Four new corridors being studied, axle loads to rise.
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| The railways plan to conduct feasibility studies for east-west, west-south, north-south and south-south corridors along the Golden Quadrilateral during the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2007-12).
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| “Even though the Golden Quadrilateral and its diagonals constitute only 16 per cent of the rail network, more than 50 per cent traffic moves on these routes. My dream is to construct these corridors in a manner that they develop into efficient and economical trunk routes for speedier, longer, heavy-haul trains,” Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said.
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| The minister also informed the Lok Sabha about the Cabinet approval for the eastern and western dedicated freight corridors. These were announced in the last budget. Work will commence in 2007-08 and is expected to be completed within the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2007-12) at a cost of Rs 30,000 crore.
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| Both the projects were inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year. The eastern freight corridor, between Ludhiana and Kolkata, will be electrified. The western corridor will link Delhi and Mumbai.
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| Prasad said after the completion of the freight corridors, the problem of passenger and goods trains running on the same network at different speeds would be solved and most level crossings would be converted into railway overbridges.
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| Wherever possible, passenger trains running on these routes will be replaced by main line electric multiple unit and diesel mainline multiple unit trains. This would facilitate an increase in the speed of passenger trains, Prasad said.
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| The new freight corridors will be able to operate 32.5 tonne axle-load goods trains and double-stack container trains.
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| At present, only 22.9 tonne axle-load wagons are manufactured in the country. To achieve this, all options, including public-private partnerships, would be considered, the minister said.
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| An industrial complex at Dalmianagar in Bihar has been planned to manufacture wagons with higher axle loads and newer technology. The railway minister did not give any time-frame for the complex. |
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