Jalgaon Rail Boost: Narrow Gauge Pachora-Jamner Line To Be Converted & Extended To Bodwad

Jalgaon: The Pachora-Jamner narrow-gauge railway line is set to be converted into a broad-gauge line and subsequently extended up to Bodwad. Jalgaon District Collector Rohan Ghuge has expressed optimism that the land acquisition process for this project will be completed by the end of April.

This will allow the railway construction work to gain momentum in May. The Pachora-Jamner line -- a narrow-gauge railway track dating back to the British era -- is being converted to broad gauge and extended to Bodwad.

A total fund of Rs 955 crore has been sanctioned for this entire 84-kilometre route. Currently, the Bhusawal-Manmad route is considered extremely congested; once this new project is completed, train traffic bound for Nagpur and Howrah could be diverted via the Pachora-Jamner-Bodwad route.

As a result, this line is expected to emerge as a viable alternative route for freight transportation. Land acquisition is required for an area of 261 hectares for this project, of which the acquisition of 161 hectares has already been completed. It is anticipated that the remaining land acquisition will be finalised by the end of April.

The Central Government has sanctioned funds amounting to Rs 955 crore for the extension of this railway line, a move that is expected to provide a significant boost to railway infrastructure development in the region.