The Mumbai- Chennai rail line is finally going to get a fully electrified double line come March 2021.
This follows the likely completion of doubling of the remaining 72 –km stretch of single line between Daund and Kalaburagi by coming March.
Once the project is completed, all segments of the Golden Quadrilateral and its diagonals will be fully doubled and electrified.
The line serves key urban areas like Pune and Solapur, and has major junctions like Daund, Kurduwadi and Hotgi connecting several parts of the country. The Mumbai-Chennai line also serves several major industries such as thermal power plants, cement, sugar, oil, food grain, fertilizer and iron ore.
Reduced travel times with doubling and electrification
Central Railway in February 2020, had announced an increase in the speed of trains between Mumbai and Chennai effective July 2020. This modification was likely done anticipating the completion of doubling and electrification between Daund and Kalaburagi.
However, the new timetable could not be implemented due to the suspension of regular train services thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Status of pending work on the Mumbai-Chennai line
Works are going on between Bhigvan and Bhalwani. Bhalwani – Washimbe is being targetted for completion by October and then the remaining Washimbe Bhigwan section (Daund –Solapur doubling).
The single line stretch between Kulali and Sawalgi (Hotgi-Kalaburagi section) is being targeted for October according to Anil Kumar Patel Chief Project Manager, of railway PSU Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).
Current status of doubling and electrification between Mumbai and Chennai section-wise
| Zone | Section | Doubling Status | Electrification status |
| CR | CSMT-Pune | Doubled | Electrified |
| CR | Pune-Daund | Doubled | Electrified |
| CR | Daund-Bhigvan | Doubled | Electrified |
| CR | Bhigvan-Mohol | Single between Bhigvan and Bhalwani and Doubled between Bhalwani and Mohol | Work in progress |
| CR | Mohol-Pakni | Doubled | Work in progress |
| CR | Pakni- Solapur | Doubled | Work in progress |
| CR | Solapur-Hotgi | Doubled | Work in progress |
| CR | Hotgi-Kalaburagi | Single between Kulali and Savalgi rest doubled | Work in progress |
| CR | Kalaburagi-Shahabad | Doubled | Electrified |
| CR | Shahabad-Wadi | Doubled | Electrified |
| SCR | Wadi – Guntakal | Doubled | Electrified |
| SCR | Guntakal -Renigunta | Doubled | Electrified |
| SR | Renigunta-Chennai | Doubled | Electrified |
Target completion dates for doubling and electrification of the remaining sections of the Mumbai-Chennai railway line
| Zone | Section | Doubling Target Date | Electrification Target Date of Completion |
| CR | Bhigvan-Washimbe | Feb-21 | Loco trials done. Commissioning by Sep-2020 |
| CR | Washimbe- Bhalwani | Oct-20 | November 2020 of single/double line |
| CR | Bhalwani-Kurduwadi | Doubled | Nov-20 |
| CR | Kurduwadi-Solapur | Doubled | Feb-21 |
| CR | Solapur-Dudhani | Doubled | Feb-21 |
| CR | Dudhani-Kulali | Doubled | Nov-20 |
| CR | Kulali-Savalgi | Oct-20 | Nov-20 |
| CR | Savalgi-Kalaburagi | Doubled | Loco trials done. Commissioning by Sep-2020 |
All single lines will be automatically electrified on being doubled.
On the doubling of bridges Anil Kumar Patel, said “the existing bridge substructure is designed for placing double line girder. However, it was designed for the old loading standard and needed strengthening for the new 25-ton loading standard. Hence, we are doing strengthening by jacketing.”
The Bhima river bridge is at KM 268.4. The Ujani dam reservoir backwaters cross the alignment at three locations; KM 302.4, KM 317.3 and KM 326.4.
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Daund –Kalaburagi doubling project details (Tables 1 and 2)
The doubling is being done as follows: From Bhigvan at Km 294.86 up to Km 330.00 (between Washimbe and Pophalaj), the alignment is on the left hand side of the existing alignment. From there on until Mohol (km 421.6), the double line alignment is on the right hand side of the existing line.
The section between Mohol and Hotgi (km 470.04) is already doubled.
From Hotgi onwards, until Bablad (Km 562.53), the new alignment stays on the right hand side. However it switches back to the left hand side for the last five kilometers between Bablad and Kalaburagi.
The project did not involve additional land acquisition.The doubled BG line will have a ruling gradient of 1:105 in block sections.
The existing curves remain except at approaches to major bridges. Of the major bridges along the alignment, six are girder bridges and the remaining are arch bridges.
There are 17 block sections prone to soil erosion- Of this five sections are due to hard rock cutting, another five due to soil cutting and the remaining seven due to unconsolidated soil material.
Project Delays and Cost Overruns
This Mumbai-Chennai line upgrade to a fully electrified double line has overshot its original schedule by 12 months. Costs have also gone up significantly by 222.36 percent, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
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Sanctioned cost of the project was Rs 713.48 crore. However, the anticipated cost now is Rs 2300 crore with Rs 2131.56 crore already spent.
Revised target date of completion was March 2020. However, the Covid-19 pandemic saw projects being abandoned due to lockdown with ensuing migration of labour resulting in a shortage of men and material. Hence the target date for completion was postponed by one year.
The project consisted of doubling works between Daund and Kalaburagi (224.9 km) and route electrification between Pune and Guntakal (641.37 km).
“Had things gone as per the original plan, this project should have been completed by December 2015,” said a senior railway official requesting anonymity.
Stations shifted during the project
Stations at locations on undulating topography have been shifted to accommodate the doubled line plus the loop lines – for instance the Pophalaj railway station (Km 333.56) building has been shifted 250 metres towards the Daund side of the existing railway station.
Other examples where the stations have been shifted include Tilati (km 479.56), Hunsi Hadgil (km 548.58) and Bablad (km 562.47).
Crossing of trains on single line at these four stations was done by the use of a scissors crossing – a method used at locations with undulating land.
Daund-Kalaburagi existing single line alignment
The existing single line broad gauge section had a ruling gradient of 1:100 with a maximum degree of curvature at 3.5 degree. It had 122 curves, 26 major and 583 minor bridges besides 54 level crossing gates.
Terrain
The Daund-Kalaburagi topography is mountainous in nature. It is covered by Deccan trap basaltic lava flows consisting of undulating terrain formed due to differential weathering.
The elevation above mean sea level along the alignment varies between 468.2 m (Ganagapur) to 599.0 m (Kem) with the average elevation at 531.6m.
The alignment lies in seismic zones – II, & III, a moderately risky zone with deep black cotton soil.
Between Daund and Kalaburagi, the Deccan trap is between Bhigwan to Jinti Road. Then comes the Bhima valley between Kem and Hotgi followed by the Akkalkot plains and the Bori river valley.
Mumbai-Chennai Line Upgrade Chronology in South Central Railway Territory
Doubling and electrification work between Renigunta and Wadi on South Central Railway was sanctioned in July 1996.
“The first section to be doubled was between Guntakal and Gooty in the 1990s,” said Hyderabad based rail enthusiast Aditya S Nivarthi.
However, doubling between Gooty and Renigunta was completed only in 2011 while the doubling towards Wadi took longer and was completed only in 2015,” he added.
“Electrification of The 310-km stretch between Renigunta and Guntakal was commissioned on December 5, 2013. However, it took more than three years to electrify the 229 km Guntakal-Wadi section,” Aditya summed up.
The cost overrun from 713 C to 2300 C.now for the work from dhound to solapur. As per my knowledge, the contract has 10 year old. It is not understood why the delay in execution of work. Comparatively, the work done by SCR and SWR are really fast. What lags in CR. ?????
CR is always hopeless
Let’s hope it is completed by March 2021!
Hope is the only lier who never loses his face.
Create this type of post for Northern Frontier Zone. It is very much informative.
I was waiting this project last 32 years after I got married. Thanks to Central Railway development. Let’s hope as early as possible to complete the project.
Well written article. However, cost of doubling has only jumped to about 1200 cr instead of 2300 cr against sanctioned cost of 713 cr.
approximately near to double. what cost was .
Let us hope the project may complete by 2021 at least and may bring golden path of success to Solapur City after’ long waiting!
As with many travelers, I am also eagerly waiting for this doubling,so that one can travel at a normal speed of 100kmh.Meanwhile other sectors are moving towards 160kmh,as per reports.Cost overrun is, inexcusable as the project has the backing of resources from ADB Japan.
Very good and elaborate write up.
Keep it up.
Yes. Doubling of Mumbai to chennai railway line links must be completed at the earliest please. Also ELECTRICIFICATION must be done at the earliest please. Since it is a main railway line links please. I request the authorities to do the needful at the earliest please.
Just travelled through this route, I think completion ofdoubling and electrification will see year 2025
It is ironical that a step motherly treatment is netted out south bound trains. I remember travelling on this route for last 55 plus years. Even then there were 3 train even now there are 3 trains to Chennai
Iam 65 we had looked forward to the speed up trains and had dreamt of travelling into Chennai from Mumbai in about 12 to 13 hours. I had hoped that our Honorable minister for railways would be in a position to inaugurate this doubling but will possibly have to be done only by the next government considering about average 10 km of doubling speed now
Yes your statement is exactly
Complete the work as on schedule period to save traveling time my request is not to keep pending works take action and sol it