New Delhi, 7 February 2013

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today has approved the doubling of the Palanpur-Samakhiali section of 247.73 kms under the Western Railway at a cost of Rs.1266.89 crore. The project is likely to be completed in next five years during 13th plan period.

The doubling of Palanpur-Samakhiali project is an operational requirement to ensure smooth passage of goods and passenger trains through the section. It will also provide necessary infrastructure support for industrial development in the State of Gujarat. The districts to be benefitted from the project are Kutch, Patan and Banaskantha.

Palanpur-Samakhiali is an existing broad gauge single line section on the Palanpur-Samakhiali-Gandhidham broad gauge route. This route was recently converted from meter gauge to broad gauge and after conversion, there is a double line from Samakhiali to Gandhidham. However, the Palanpur-Samakhiali section is still a single line and therefore, is a bottleneck. Since the Palanpur-Samakhiali-Gandhidham section is a feeder route of the Western Railway to the Dedicated Freight Corridor of Mumbai-Delhi, and considering the quantum of traffic on this route, it has become essential to double the Palanpur-Samakhiali section also.