Mumbai: Indian Railways has approved a ₹172-crore project to build a 3.7-km Somtane–Chikhli chord line in Maharashtra, a move expected to significantly improve freight movement and reduce congestion at Panvel Junction, one of the busiest railway hubs in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Freight trains to avoid Panvel Junction and time-consuming reversals
The new rail link will directly connect Chikhli on the Karjat route with Somtane on the Roha route, creating a missing connection in the network. Once completed, freight trains travelling between the Karjat, Jasai and Roha corridors will no longer need to enter Panvel Junction or undergo time-consuming engine reversals. Railway officials said the project will save around 110 minutes of detention time for every freight train, resulting in faster turnaround and impr oved logistics efficiency.
The project is particularly important for cargo traffic linked to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), which handles nearly 60 per cent of the country's container traffic. At present, freight trains moving to and from the port are forced to pass through Panvel Junction, adding pressure on an already congested section of the railway network. The direct chord connection is expected to streamline train operations and free up capacity at the junction.
Key boost for JNPA handling 60% of India's container traffic
Panvel serves as a key railway interchange connecting routes towards Roha, Karjat, Diva and JNPT. The absence of a direct Karjat–Roha link has long been seen as a bottleneck for freight operations. Railway officials believe the new chord line will help address this issue while supporting the growing demand for cargo movement in western India.
According to the Railways, the project is expected to facilitate the movement of an additional nine million tonnes of freight annually after completion. It will also complement the already approved Panvel Elevated Chord Line projects on the JNPT–Karjat and JNPT–Roha sections, strengthening rail connectivity to the country's largest container port.
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