The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for doubling of Surendranagar-Rajkot project at an estimated cost of Rs.1,002.39 crore with expected completion cost of Rs.1,137.17 crore with 5% escalation per annum.
The length of the railway line will be 116.17 km. The completion period of the project will be four years.
Doubling of this line will greatly ease the ever increasing freight traffic between Okha-Rajkot, Porbandar-Kanalus, Veraval-Rajkot and Maliya Maiyana / Navalakhi-Dahinsara-Wankaner section.
Background:
Surendranagar-Wankaner-Rajkot Broad Gauge Section is an important and saturated single line section carrying traffic originating and terminating at various destinations in Saurashtra region of Gujarat State. This single line has to carry the passenger as well as freight traffic originating /terminating between Okha-Rajkot section, Porbandar-Kanlus section, Veraval-Rajkot section and Maliya Maiyana / Navalakhi-Dahinsara-Wankaner section. In addition to this, freight traffic from two branch lines namely Sikka-Kanalus junction and Windmill-Jamnagar sections are also converged on to the project route. This makes the project route very busy single line section with very high potential to further growth due to the high industrial development envisaged in Saurashtra region in the coming years.