Eastern Corridor to come up by 2019, says Prabhu

Once the corridor is up, freight trains will run at 100 km an hour from 25-30 km currently, which will benefit industry

Union Railway minister Suresh Prabhu today said railways would be investing Rs 82,000 crore in building the much-awaited Eastern Freight Corridor, which will come up in 2019.

"We are confident Eastern Corridor will come up by 2019," he said in a special session of the Bharat Chamber of Commerce and Industry here.

Railways is constructing Eastern Corridor from Ludhiana to Dankuni (1,840 km) and the Western Corridor from Dadri to Jawaharlal Nehru Port (1,502 km). Currently goods trains are moving at 25/26 km per hour speed. The speed will go up to 100 km per hour on the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), which will be beneficial for industry.

He also said 17 states, including that of West Bengal has agreed to form joint ventures with the Railways to duild up railway infrastructure.

"We had a very object oriented and excellent meeting with the chief minister, in which we have decided to work as partners. 17 states have agreed to form joint venture with the railways for developing infrastructure and we hope Bengal will also join soon," Suresh Prabhu said.

Beside, he announced the Centre wil bear the entire additional cost of Rs 765 crore of the much delayed East West Metro Rail project, execuited by KMRCL.

KMRCL, initially a joint venture between the Union urban development ministry and the West Bengal government, is developing the metro project that will connect Salt Lake on the eastern fringe of Kolkata to Howrah, the township to the west of Kolkata, on the other side of Hooghly river.

In 2013, following a request from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the project was handed over to Indian Railways, which runs the existing metro services in Kolkata.

Japanese Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC), which is funding 45 per cent of project cost of the budgeted Rs 4,875 crore for a new Metro east-west corridor in the city. But, there has been major cost escalation due to delays on grounds of land-related issue.

However, describing his Thursday meet with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as "excellent", Prabhu exuded confidence of getting the West Bengal government's cooperation in improving railway infrastructure and overcoming the hurdles in metro projects.

"In last several years we have not invested in the railways as much as it was necessary. And it is now showing clearly in terms of safety, in terms of the dropping customer service, in terms of delays," Prabhu said during an event at the Eastern railway headquarter here.

"The problems are mammoth and to commensurate those problems, we have to work in a partnerships with the states. We need to correct it, but nothing will happen overnight. We are on track, and on our way to achieving it. It will take time but it will happen," he added.