Faster coal transport in India
The Indian Government has approved the construction of a 108 km new line between Vaibhavwadi and Kolhapur. The project will be completed by 2023-24 and will be carried out by the construction division of Central Railway.
The new line will pass through the districts of Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg of Maharashtra state and reduce the distances for thermal coal transportation for a number of power plants in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The additional stretch will also create a shorter evacuation route to western ports, as there is a lack of rail connectivity between the central and Konkan regions.
There will also be a reduction in the distance and time taken for freight trains running on the existing Vaibhavwadi-Roha-Pune route and the Miraj-Pune-Panvel-Pen route. (ben)