Indian Railways, Maharashtra tie up to boost hinterland connectivity

Rs 800 crore Dighi Port Rail project will take two years for completion

In a bid to boost the hinterland connectivity in Maharashtra, the railways and the state government have signed an agreement to take up some of the most critical projects.

To begin with, the railway connectivity between Vidharba and Gadchiroli, Kolhapur and Vaibhavwadi in the Konkan region, and between Karad and Chiplun will be taken up, railway minister Suresh Prabhu said on Saturday. He was speaking at a press conference to announce a joint venture project between the Rail Vikas Nigam and Dighi Port.

“In the last few years, railways has lost a lot of traffic to roads despite being a cheaper mode of transport. We (railways) will now make the investment and bring railways to a level which can provide connectivity and backbone,” said Prabhu. Railways needs $150 billion investment in the next two years and to that extent will require strong private sector investment in the sector, Prabhu added.

Meanwhile, the Dighi Port Rail with an estimated cost of Rs 800 crore will be constructed as a feeder route to Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) linking Jawaharlal Nehru Port to Ludhiana. The project will be funded through a mix of equity and debt. Work on the project will start in a month and will take about two years of completion.