E-Paper
NER launches mega drive to strengthen Barabanki-Chhapra route
In view of the ongoing renovation work, 32 trains will remain cancelled and routes of 24 trains have been diverted till March 4
In order to facilitate high-speed trains to ply between Barabanki and Chhapra and also enable the trains to run at high speed on the route, the North Eastern Railway (NER) has launched a large scale exercise for renewal of old railway tracks and doubling rail line along with installation of automatic block signals.
On account of this project, many trains on the route have been cancelled and many have been diverted till March 4.
Chief public relation officer of NER Pankaj Kumar Singh said that ₹1,000 crore has been allocated for installation of automatic block signal and three agencies have been identified to carry out the work from Chhapra to Barabanki.
Singh said in the recent railway budget, the focus was laid on infrastructure development and ₹450 crore was earmarked for it that included ₹133.76 crore for Lucknow division, ₹44.30 crore for Varansi division and ₹12.67 crore for Izzatnagar division.
With this budget allocation, the NER would strengthen the 43.8 km of rail track in Varansi division along with 25.4 km in Lucknow division and 13.9 km in Izzatnagar division, he added.
He said the renovation work, including electrification of railway track has been initiated at each section of the NER.
In view of the ongoing work, the railway officials have cancelled the operation of 32 trains on Gorakhpur to Lucknow rail line including intercity express, Lucknow Banaras express and Patliputra Lucknow express.
Singh said in the wake of ongoing double rail line work from Daliganj to Badshahnagar and from Gomti Nagar to Malhaur station in Lucknow division, the train operation would remain affected from February 19 to March 4.
The railway is also operating 24 trains with diverted route including 02563 Barauni to New Delhi express, 02569 Darbhanga New Delhi express and 12522 Ernakulam Barouni express train.
