The 65th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) took place in New Delhi, chaired by Shri Rajeev Singh Thakur – Additional Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The meeting evaluated five projects related to road, rail, and urban transit from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Ministry of Railways (MoR), and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). These projects aim to integrate various modes of transport, offer substantial socio-economic benefits and will contribute to the overall development of the regions.
MoRTH – Highway projects in the Goa, Meghalaya and Assam
The MoRTH projects involve the expansion of a 45 km section of NH-66 in Goa and the transformation of the Mawlyngkhung–Panchgram road from a 2-lane to a 4-lane route in Meghalaya and Assam, covering a greenfield stretch of 118 km and a brownfield stretch of 43 km. These initiatives are poised to deliver substantial economic benefits, encompassing lowered logistics expenses, alleviated traffic congestion, and heightened average traffic speeds.
Ministry of Railways – Construction of Rail-Over-Rail bulb line in Bihar
Examined in the meeting was a significant railway project involving the construction of a 17.49 km bulb line at Nabinagar (Ankorha) in Bihar’s Aurangabad district. The implementation of this ROR bulb line aims to achieve grade separation for two railway lines, resulting in reduced train detention, shorter transit times, enhanced logistics efficiency for coal transportation to the nearby Nabinagar power plant, and improved section capacity utilization of the main lines.
MoHUA: Urban metro transit projects in Bangalore and Delhi/NCR
The two urban transit metro corridor projects from MoHUA were discussed including Rithala-Bawana-Narela–Kundli (Haryana) Metro Corridor of DMRC in the NCR region and Phase-3 of Bangalore Metro Rail Project of 44.65 Km with 2 corridors from JP Nagar to Kempapura along ORR and Hosahalli to Kadabagere along Magadi road. Both the projects will result in multi-modal integration of metro with bus and rail stations, decongestion of roads, travel time savings, fuel cost savings, reliable operation and performance, and reduction in vehicular emission and pollution. The NPG suggested the project proponents plan for adequate transition infrastructure where inter-modal interface is involved.
It was emphasised during the meeting that these projects will play a pivotal role in nation-building by integrating various modes of transport, offer substantial socio-economic benefits and will contribute to the overall development of the regions.
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