Indian Railways (IR) has approved the construction of a 11-km bypass line between Adra end and Joychandipahar in South Eastern Railway (SER) at a total cost of ₹272 crore.
The project will provide dedicated path segregation and a bi-directional connection to the upcoming third line, facilitating projected movement of six freight rakes per day and supporting the anticipated increase in industrial traffic. The bypass will particularly support freight movement associated with SAIL’s 23.40 MTPA iron ore demand and BCCL’s projection of 45 rakes per day.
Benefits
The Adra-Joychandipahar-Sanka bypass will help eliminate existing operational bottlenecks and surface-crossing detentions on the Adra-Joychandipahar section. With the existing network operating at 71 per cent utilisation and freight speeds affected by surface-crossing conflicts, the bypass will help improve operational efficiency and prevent further congestion.
The project is expected to facilitate additional traffic of 8.88 MTPA upon completion. The current line capacity of the Joychandipahar-Adra section is 47.50 per cent, which is expected to increase to 56.45 per cent by 2028-29.
The bypass is part of IR’s Energy, Mineral and Cement corridor. By providing additional capacity and smoother freight movement, the project will strengthen the transportation of industrial commodities and enable future traffic growth to translate into higher throughput.
