The new electrified broad gauge Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) double rail line from New Karchana-New Sujatpur bypassing Prayagraj city has been completed. It has a total route length of 62.65 km, say officials aware of the matter.
The trial run of goods train comprising 53 wagons loaded with coal was successfully done on Friday. Regular movement of goods train will now be started after senior administrative grade (SAG) inspection, they add.
With this, all connection of DFC with Indian Railway from Chunar to Kanpur section having total 322.353 route km, including four link lines of Cheoki Link Line, Iradatganj Link Line, Sujatpur link line and Rooma link Line, has now been completed.
This development comes close on the heels of the most important link of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC), the 1034-metre-long bridge being built on the Yamuna, too getting completed.
“With the commissioning of this DFC detour, all the goods train which are passing through Prayagraj Junction, Cheoki and Naini stations will pass through this DFC detour. It will help North Central Railway (NCR) relieve the congestion on these stations which was due to large number of trains and as a result punctuality of passenger carrying trains will improve significantly,” said senior PRO, NCR, Amit Malaviya.
Meanwhile, after the final speed trial, goods trains will also start picking up speed on this newly constructed 1034 m bridge. Officials say this is most important for Prayagraj rail route because now goods trains will operate through this bridge which will act as a bypass. Goods trains will not pass through Prayagraj, Naini and Cheoki tracks.
Goods trains, separated from the main track, will speed through this bridge. From the first week of the New Year, 100 goods trains will start passing through this bridge daily, officials say.
Thousands of metric tonnes of steel has been used for constructing this bridge having 18 pillars. About 50,000 metric tonnes of structural steel net too has been laid in this bridge of EDFC. Around 3200 tonnes of iron has been used. Total 34 girders of 280 tonnes have been installed for this bridge, officials add. The construction of the bridge started in 2016 between Naini’s Mohabbatganj and Karelabagh in Prayagraj. Its foundation is more than 45-metre deep in the river.
