CENTRAL Railway is eyeing a new rail route to connect the Katol and Wardha Railway Stations in its Nagpur Division as an alternative for the congested Grand Trunk route. A final location survey is ordered by the Construction Organisation to work out the project cost and other contours for the 86 km new line. The agency would have to provide entire details as to bridges, minor and major, the route through which the new track is to be laid, land requirement, including private, along with drawing.

When constructed the route would provide by-pass for Nagpur station to help accelerate movement of train on New DelhiChennai route that is right now jam-packed on Nagpur-Sewagram-Wardha section where utilisation is over 160 per cent. This is so as the route is also common to Howrah-Mumbai route trains. Plus the movement of goods and parcel trains has gained momentum with growth in economy. Therefore, railways is keen on carving out an alternate route. About a decade ago, the preliminary reconnaissance-cum-engineering survey for traffic estimates was carried out by Central Railway. That time, the biggest hurdle in way of taking-up Katol-Wardha project was the forest patch of Bor Reserve, as there are stringent norms for diversion of green land. Hence, the project remained in cold storage for quite a long period. Besides, that time, railways was also facing funds crunch and third and fourth lines were thus commissioned on Sewagram-Nagpur route as the thinking was they would come on stream and obliterate the need for taking-up challenge of putting a line through the dense forest.

However, with Central Government now aggressively pushing infrastructure development in country, railways has revived the project and going for final mapping to have actual idea of the ground situation. The biggest hurdle that time, and now also, is bypassing the conundrum of Bor Reserve Forest and several options are right now under consideration. Once the final location survey report arrives, Railways would decide their next course of action, it is learnt. Now, with deployment of drones, a much accurate picture of the ground is available with precision geographical points that help in getting correct estimation. Also, the advanced drawings with help of advanced software enables top officials to get clear cut view of the position. Similarly, Railway Board now has modified consideration for new line project, along side economic returns that was earlier sole criteria. Now, social benefits too need to be counted and same weigh in for the Katol-Wardha line. The new route would bring in prosperity and provides shorter route for New DelhiChennai trains. The decision is also aimed at decongesting the Nagpur railway station that is land locked and same is handicap in increasing number of platforms, whose width is relatively smaller. The new route would help in introducing new trains and also speedup movement on existing Nagpur-Sewagram route.