ECoR upgrades infrastructure to double train capacity

Bhubaneswar: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) is expanding coaching terminals and increasing sectional and operational capacity in several cities to meet growing passenger demand and ease congestion.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said, “This initiative aims to upgrade the railway network and strengthen connectivity across the country.” Citing the rapid and continuous increase in travel demand, ECoR said in a press release that the capacity of major cities under its jurisdiction will need to be doubled to introduce new trains over the next five years.

Existing passenger infrastructure in Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Visakhapatnam is being expanded to meet the needs of the coming years. The initiatives to double the capacity in these cities by 2030 include expanding existing terminals with more platforms, stabling lines, pit lines, and adequate shunting facilities; identifying and constructing new terminals in and around urban areas; This includes developing maintenance facilities, including mega coaching complexes, increasing sectional capacity with traffic facilitation works, signaling upgrades, and multitracking at various locations to handle increased train volumes. The Railways stated that when planning terminal capacity expansion at Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Visakhapatnam, nearby stations will also be considered to maintain a balanced capacity. In Puri, two more full-length integrated pit lines are being constructed to supplement the existing six; the entire coaching maintenance facility is proposed to be shifted to a new second coaching terminal depot on the approved Puri-Konark new line (final location survey proposed), and a large-scale coaching complex is planned on this line. In Bhubaneswar, the Bhubaneswar new station is being developed as a satellite coaching terminal, with maintenance facilities and dedicated connectivity to two pit lines at Mancheswar; due to space constraints, new depots are proposed in nearby areas. In Visakhapatnam, a DPR for yard modifications, including five more lines, six more passenger platforms, ten stabling lines, and electronic interlocking, is under consideration by the Railway Board; the Jagannathapuram station on the Kottavalasa-Anakapalle bypass line is being planned as a large complex to serve as a mega coaching maintenance depot and satellite station.

To support the increasing number of trains, several sectional capacity enhancement projects are also progressing.

A major plan is being implemented covering Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Visakhapatnam, among the 48 major cities identified by Indian Railways.

This plan includes already approved, ongoing, or proposed works to achieve the target of doubling train-handling capacity on time.

ECoR is also planning to enhance train handling capacity across all its divisions to ensure that not only terminal capacity is enhanced at Bhubaneswar, Puri and Visakhapatnam, but also sectional capacity and operational constraints at stations and yards are addressed effectively.