According to the Ministry of Railways, ₹895.30 crore worth of infrastructure and capacity augmentation projects have been sanctioned by the Union government to improve the safety of railway bridges and metro rail systems.
The North-South Corridor of the Kolkata Metro power supply system is set to be upgraded with projects sanctioned totalling ₹671.72 crore of the overall expenditure. The project entails upgrading and augmenting the auxiliary and traction substations between Esplanade and Kavi Subhash, as well as constructing seven new traction substations at an expense of ₹291.06 crore.
Power system upgrades from 11 kV to 33 kV in certain elevated parts are also part of the project. The corridor was originally constructed in the 1980s to accommodate train intervals of approximately five minutes. Following the upgrading, it is anticipated that the corridor would achieve a reduced headway of 2.5 minutes, dramatically improving capacity and service frequency.
Furthermore, the Adra division of the South Eastern Railway will have its bridge infrastructure strengthened by a ₹223.58 crore investment. This encompasses yard renovations, track improvements and the construction of the substructure for Bridge No. 520 on both the up and down lines between Madhukunda and Damodar.
The current Damodar bridge needs its foundation and substructure rebuilt due to the fact that it has aged significantly; it was constructed in 1903 for one line and in 1965 for another. This segment is an extremely heavily used coal transport route and an integral part of a vital goods corridor that connects Asansol with Tatanagar.
Projects like this are part of the government’s larger effort to modernise infrastructure; they aim to boost industrial activity in the Durgapur-Asansol belt by making things safer, more reliable, and more efficient.
Image Credit: Op India
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