The South East Central Railway (SECR) has adopted a piecemeal approach in decongesting the Bilaspur-Nagpur 412 km corridor as its previous attempt for a single tender failed to find any takers. Now, the Construction Department is preparing a detailed project report (DPR) on Rajnandgaon-Gondia section, a route of 73 km, to get an estimate of the financial outlay. SECR is leading in coal hauling over Indian Railways (IR) and so officials have been trying to expedite the survey, including that of traffic, and seeking to know the future potential and challenges that it may encounter during the construction phase. Given the long gestation period involved in a railway project, SECR has been trying to expedite the new corridors. Somehow the single tender of 412 km did not find any takers. This happened not once, but twice, forcing the authorities to rethink their approach.

 

The 412 km was bifurcated into three stretches, Nagpur-Gondia, Gondia-Rajnandgaon and Rajnandgaon-Bilaspur. Justifying the need for a new corridor, Basant Shukla, Secretary, Bharatiya Yatri Kendra (BYK), said SECR is the top loader and earner in Indian Railways and there is an urgent need to take-up expansion work as it would ease congestion and help travel faster between two growth centres, Nagpur and Bilaspur. Outlining the project, SECR's Nagpur Region Construction Wing has sought estimates for future traffic potential to justify the fourth line. This would include current flow of train and projected growth over the next few years. The traffic survey would mention the two points as to movement of goods rakes and long distance Mail/Express as well as short distance passenger trains. Since the SECR route is also connected with sea port, Vizag, airports this factor need to be calculated to estimate the growth potential. DPR is key to seeking funds from Railway Board for taking-up the new line project. Apart from getting a hindsight of possible capital outlay, the traffic survey is quite comprehensive as it provide complete low-down of traffic potential, current land availability and additional requirement, if any.

 

During the survey, a survey of the topography is most crucial as same helps in identify the alignment of track on which depends the aspect of land that would be required for laying the 4th line. Also the soil samples are collected and thoroughly analyzed to get to know sub-strata as on it lays the type of bedding that would be needed to be prepared for laying of the tracks. During the survey, the men on field also take note of requirement of minor and major bridges, tunnels, railway overbridges (RoBs), Railway Under Bridges (RuBs), level crossings. Now that Rail over Rail (RoR) is being constructed at many places, the same needs to be incorporated with justification. Similarly now with advancement in technology and its incorporation in Railways, the new survey would like to keep focus on having straight line formation.

 

This would help in running high speed rails as due to curvatures the speed of trains slows down that has cascading effect on tracks. Most important in any new line project, the earnings from goods traffic forms a key element of the survey as it helps in arriving at rate of returns. Though the formula for returns have undergone quite a change, as besides economic feasibility, the social benefits of the projects, mainly to agriculture sector, tourism potential is also kept in mind. Apart from traffic survey, the SECR authorities are also seeking to know fund requirement for electrification and S&T facilities that would be need on 4th line.