The Project Details
The project involves conversion of 62.36 Km long Bharuch – Samni – Dahej Narrow Gauge Railway line to Broad gauge, so as to provide Broad Gauge Rail Connectivity for Passenger and Freight Traffic movement between Bharuch and Dahej. An additional 5.2 Km link line shall be built to connect with the WR Mainline at Chavaj (north of Bharuch) owing to space constraints at Bharuch. Dahej, the terminal station, of the line shall be linked by sidings to the proposed new jetty being constructed by the Adani Petronet (Dahej) Port Private Limited and ONGC Petro Additions Limited plant in the Dahej SEZ. It is expected that there will be demand for additional sidings, including one to a Logistics Park.
The project line at its eastern end shall join the existing Western Railway mainline from Virar to Vadodara at Bharuch and Chavaj. Provision shall also be made for junction arrangements with the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor as and when it comes up. As the line is categorized as a feeder route to the Dedicated Freight Corridor, the line is designed to take a heavier axle load of 25 tonnes involving use of heavier rails. The line shall be electrified to 25 KV AC traction standards to facilitate interchange of traffic with Western Railway.
The Port of Dahej, in the Gulf of Khambat is progressively gaining importance both as a Port and as a convenient location for setting up new industries serving a large hinterland which includes the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi apart from Gujarat. The developments taking place in Dahej are likely to transform the area into a major industrial complex in the next few years.
The salient features of the project are indicated here