Railways needs to decongest its busiest routes; how multitracking could help, Pg4

Key Highlights:

• Indian Railways (IR) is implementing multitracking on its seven High-Density Networks (HDNs) to alleviate congestion.
• HDNs comprise 16% of the network but manage over 40% of the total rail traffic.
• The Union Cabinet approved eight multitracking projects covering 1,196 km, costing ₹20,804 crore.
• IR aims to increase its freight loading capacity to 3,000 million tonnes by 2030.
• The third Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), connecting Dankuni (West Bengal) to Surat (Gujarat), is being expedited.

Detailed Insights:

• Freight revenues contribute over 65% of IR's total earnings, significantly subsidizing passenger services.
• Congestion and inadequate last-mile connectivity are major hurdles for IR's full potential in freight transportation.
• HDNs are passenger-freight corridors operating beyond their designed capacity, leading to delays and reduced efficiency.
• Only 4.6% of IR's networks currently operate below the recommended 70-80% capacity threshold to avoid congestion.
• The average speed of freight trains is currently 25 kmph, which multitracking aims to significantly enhance.
• The National Rail Plan projects over 150% line-capacity utilization on 50% of the network by 2031 without multitracking.
• DFCs are specialized lines built exclusively for goods trains, designed to decongest existing mixed-traffic routes.
• The Eastern DFC (Ludhiana-Sonnagar) and Western DFC (Mumbai-Delhi) are fully operational, handling an average of 420 freight trains daily.
• The Eastern DFC primarily serves coal and mineral traffic, while the Western DFC handles ISO containers from major ports.
• Two additional DFCs are planned: the East Coast corridor (Kharagpur-Vijayawada) and the North-South corridor (Itarsi-Vijayawada).

Key Concepts Involved:

• Multitracking: Expansion of railway lines on existing routes to increase capacity and reduce traffic bottlenecks.
• High-Density Networks (HDNs): Crucial railway sections experiencing high traffic volumes, often exceeding their operational capacity.
• Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs): Exclusive railway lines constructed solely for freight trains to ensure faster and more efficient goods movement.
• National Rail Plan: A strategic document outlining the long-term development goals and infrastructure expansion for Indian Railways by 2030.