Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flags off a new train service between Sairang (Mizoram) and Silchar (Assam) via video conferencing, in New Delhi, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. Mr. Vaishnaw also virtually inaugurated new passenger facilities at Guwahati Railway Station. The Ministry has said a comprehensive set of rail infrastructure projects has been approved in the country.
| Photo Credit: PTI
A comprehensive set of rail infrastructure projects has been approved aimed at eliminating congestion, enhancing line capacity, improving safety systems and enabling faster, more reliable passenger and freight movement across the country, the Railway Ministry said on Monday (February 9, 2026).
A press statement from the Ministry said these approvals spanned Southern, Northern and South Eastern Railways covering line doubling, third and fourth lines, bypass corridors and advanced electronic interlocking systems.
“Barbenda–Damrughutu doubling and Damrughutu–Bokaro Steel City 3rd & 4th Lines in Jharkhand are major capacity expansion projects under South Eastern Railway and a cornerstone of India’s Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor,” the statement said.
It added, “Currently, the line operates at 108% utilisation, with train detention ranging between 90-150 minutes, handling 78 (38 passenger and 40 freight) trains daily and supporting a freight throughput of 35.22 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum).” Highlighting the approval to electronic interlocking (EI) at 34 stations at the cost of Rs 421.41 crore across Northern Railway routes where Kavach is being rolled out, the ministry said that it will enhance safety and operational efficiency.
“This includes 21 stations in the Delhi Division at a cost of ₹292.24 crore and 13 stations in the Ambala Division costing ₹129.17 crore,” the Ministry said.
According to the Ministry, the approval of the Rajpura bypass line (13.46 km) under the Northern Railway costing ₹411.96 crore will significantly enhance capacity and operational efficiency on the Ambala–Jalandhar section, one of the busiest corridors on the Northern Railway.
The press note outlined two doubling projects— Alappuzha–Ambalapuzha doubling (12.66 km) at the cost of ₹324.16 crore in Kerala and Irugur–Podanur doubling (10.77 km) costing ₹277.42 crore in Tamil Nadu— saying it will significantly improve line capacity and freight operations.
Emphasising the benefits of another bypass project, Palakkad Town-Parli Bypass Line (1.80 km) worth ₹163.57 crore, the Ministry said it will provide immediate operational and passenger benefits by eliminating engine reversal at Palakkad Junction in Kerala for multiple train services.
“It will reduce average detention of passenger trains by 40-44 minutes and cut freight detention by up to 120 minutes per train, while also supporting additional passenger services planned from Palakkad Junction,” the statement said.
“By streamlining train movements, the bypass will significantly improve punctuality on routes connecting Shoranur, Thiruvananthapuram and Pollachi, while easing congestion at one of Southern Railway’s busiest junctions,” it added.
“Implementation of 7 new high-speed rail corridors to be expedited”
The Ministry on Monday (February 9, 2026) said that it has initiated steps to expedite the implementation of seven new High-Speed Rail (HSR) corridors announced in the Union Budget 2026, marking a major push towards next-generation passenger travel in India.
The proposed corridors include Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri.
These routes are envisioned as key growth connectors linking major economic, industrial and cultural centres across the country,” an official statement announced.
“Following a high-level meeting at the Railway Board, the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has been directed to take immediate action to ensure timely progress. As part of the roadmap, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for completed corridors will be updated with current cost estimates to enable accurate financial viability assessments,” it added.
“The seven new corridors are expected to play a transformative role in reducing travel time, improving passenger comfort and supporting sustainable, low-emission rail connectivity, while also catalysing regional economic growth,” the statement said.
Published – February 10, 2026 11:48 am IST
