New Delhi, May 13 (PTI) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the construction of a 134-km semi-high-speed double rail line between Ahmedabad and Dholera in Gujarat at an estimated cost of around Rs 20,667 crore.
The project will be Indian Railways’ first semi-high-speed corridor planned with indigenously developed technology.
“The project section will provide faster connectivity between Ahmedabad, Dholera SIR (Special Investment Region), upcoming Dholera Airport, and Lothal National Maritime Heritage Complex (NHMC),” according to an official statement.
“Connecting Ahmedabad with Dholera will cut down passenger travel time, enabling comfortable daily commuting and same-day return trips. This semi-high-speed railway would not only bring two cities closer but also bring the people living hundreds of kilometers away closer to each other,” it said.
Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) in Gujarat is a greenfield industrial smart city, envisioned as a global hub for manufacturing, innovation, and urban living.
Addressing mediapersons, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Ahmedabad-Dholera corridor is part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and that the semi-high-speed rail line will boost development across the region.
He said the train will have a design speed of 220 kmph and an operational speed of 200 kmph.
Vaishnaw added that after completion of the project, travel time between Sarkhej and Dholera will be reduced to around 34 minutes.
Officials said the objective of the proposed new line, to be completed in four years, is to integrate DSIR with the broader railway network at Sarkhej near Ahmedabad. The broad-gauge corridor will be the first of its kind in India, designed to operate trains at speeds of up to 200 kmph.
A doubling line is already under construction from Sarkhej to Ahmedabad, which will act as a direct link between Dholera and Ahmedabad, significantly improving passenger mobility.
“The proposed projects will enhance connectivity to approximately 284 villages, which have a population of about 5 lakhs,” the statement said.
Highlighting the environmental benefits, the government said railways, being an environment-friendly and energy-efficient mode of transport, would help the country achieve its climate goals, reduce logistics costs, cut oil imports by an estimated 0.48 crore litres, and lower carbon dioxide emissions by around 2 crore kg.
The reduction in emissions would be equivalent to planting around 10 lakh trees, it added. PTI JP SKC RHL
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