Himmatnagar: In a major railway infrastructure boost for Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts, the Ministry of Railways has planned an additional railway track to increase capacity on the Himmatnagar–Asarwa route. The work of preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the project has already begun.

Currently, only a single track is available from Asarwa to other states via Himmatnagar, due to which trains often have to wait at stations, resulting in delays for passengers. To address this issue, an additional track is proposed on the Himmatnagar–Prantij–Talod–Dahegam–Asarwa route, which is expected to significantly enhance railway capacity in North Gujarat.

Meanwhile, work on a modern railway station at Himmatnagar under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is also in progress. Keeping future transportation needs in mind, representations have been made to the Railway Minister seeking new train services on the Mumbai–Khedbrahma, Mumbai–Surat and Ahmedabad–Himmatnagar–Udaipur routes.

In another news, following a representation made by the Sabarkantha MP, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the opening of an Army canteen in Himmatnagar. The facility is expected to benefit more than 20,000 retired armed forces personnel from Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts. At present, many of them have to travel to Ahmedabad or Gandhinagar to purchase goods from defence canteens. The new facility will make these products available locally.

Road Projects Worth Crores Approved

Several road infrastructure projects worth hundreds of crores of rupees have also been approved by the Central Government to strengthen connectivity in the region.

• National Highway 58: Rs 355.40 crore has been allocated for the Vijaynagar–Khokhra road project.
• National Highway 168: A project worth Rs 1,050 crore has been approved for the Mehsana–Visnagar–Idar–Bhiloda–Shamlaji corridor.
• Other Roads: The Badoli–Bhiloda–Shamlaji road will be upgraded at a cost of Rs 121 crore, while additional works worth over Rs 8 crore will be undertaken under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

With the completion of these projects, transportation infrastructure in Sabarkantha and neighbouring areas is expected to improve significantly, providing a boost to connectivity and economic activity. DeshGujarat