Rail ministry sanctions final location survey for three new lines in Bengal

Kolkata, Jan 28 (PTI) The ministry of railways has sanctioned the final survey for three new lines in West Bengal, spanning a total length of 178 km, an official said on Wednesday.

The projects are expected

to significantly improve rail connectivity and infrastructure in the state and adjacent regions, an official of the Eastern Railway said.

The new projects are the 73-km Siuri-Nala via Rajnagar and Bakreshwar Dham, 27-km Arambagh-Khanakul and 78-km Rasulpur-Jangalpara, the official said.

He said that the proposed Siuri-Nala line will provide direct rail connectivity between Siuri in West Bengal’s Birbhum district and Nala in Jharkhand’s Jamtara.

“The route will unlock pilgrimage and tourism potential in areas like Bakreswar Dham, and provide enhanced inter-state connectivity between two economically significant but underserved regions,” the ER official said.

He said the 27-km Arambagh-Khanakul line in Hooghly district holds immense cultural and historical significance as the birthplace of Raja Rammohan Roy, one of the icons of Indian Renaissance.

Stating that present connectivity between the two areas is primarily road-based, which is slow and congestion-prone, he said the proposed new railway line between Arambagh and Khanakul is essential to meet growing passenger demand for improving accessibility.

The Rasulpur-Jangalpara line has been sanctioned to avoid engine reversal, he said. PTI AMR MNB