Railway Ministry sanctions Cuttack–Nirgundi 4th Line to ease congestion on Howrah–Chennai Route

Bhubaneswar, July 11 (UNI) The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned the construction of a fourth rail line between Cuttack and Nirgundi, along with a rail flyover at Nirgundi, at an estimated cost of Rs 802.9 crore.

The project aims to ease congestion on the busy Howrah–Chennai mainline and the Cuttack–Paradeep route.

According to East Coast Railway (ECoR) sources, the rail flyover will help reduce delays and improve punctuality for both passenger and freight trains.

The sanctioned project includes two new river bridges, an electrified line with Kavach safety features and 130 kmph speed capacity infrastructure.

This crucial infrastructure development is expected to significantly enhance train capacity and operational efficiency along the Howrah–Chennai mainline and the Cuttack–Paradeep section.

The Cuttack–Nirgundi stretch forms part of the Howrah–Chennai High-Density Network (HDN), which is currently facing heavy congestion.

A major contributing factor is the intersection of Paradeep Port traffic with the mainline at Cuttack.

Additionally, the lack of a direct junction for Talcher-bound trains at Cuttack leads to delays due to surface-level crossings.

The construction of the fourth line and the rail flyover is designed to decongest this corridor by segregating port-bound traffic from the mainline, especially between Cuttack and Dhenkanal.

This will reduce the detention time for passenger and Mail/Express trains operating to and from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

Currently, Mail/Express trains are often held up at Nergundi due to operational constraints.

The implementation of this project will alleviate these bottlenecks, enhance punctuality, and enable smoother movement of additional coaching trains.

The project will also contribute to the separation of freight and coaching traffic, thereby minimising delays for trains that bypass the mainline.
As part of the initiative, two new river bridges will be constructed over the Mahanadi and Birupa rivers.

The new line, including the flyover, will be fitted with Kavach safety systems and a 2×25 kV electrification, supporting speeds of up to 130 kmph

This strategic initiative reflects East Coast Railway’s ongoing commitment to modernise infrastructure and enhance the operational efficiency of one of the busiest railway corridors in India.