Indian Railways approves Rs 345 crore for Odisha track doubling and Uttar Pradesh safety upgrade

Indian Railways has approved projects costing Rs 345 crore to double a 6‑km mineral line in Odisha and to roll out the indigenously developed Kavach 4.0 safety system on 614.75 route km of the Varanasi Division in Uttar Pradesh.

Track Doubling

The Barbil‑Bolanikhadan stretch in Odisha, managed by South Eastern Railway, will receive Rs 122 crore for a six‑kilometre double‑track. The single line currently moves about 9 million tonnes of freight a year, including roughly six iron‑ore rakes daily. Doubling the line is aimed at removing capacity bottlenecks ahead of SAIL’s planned mine and port expansions and will aid growing freight demand, improve iron‑ore movement to steel plants and ports, and boost overall rail capacity in the Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor.

Safety Upgrade

A separate allocation of Rs 223 crore will fund Kavach 4.0 across 614.75 km of track in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi Division. The system automatically prevents signal‑passing‑at‑danger incidents, applies brakes when needed, and continuously monitors train operations to enhance safety. Indian Railways recently commissioned the technology on the Malkajgiri‑Kamareddi stretch of the Hyderabad Division, marking the first use of Kavach 4.0 on its network.

Context

Track‑doubling projects are a common response to rising freight volumes in mineral‑rich regions. Kavach 4.0 is part of a national push to reduce human error‑related accidents on busy routes.