6 days ago
First announced in Budget 2008-09, 58-km railway project in Bihar's Kosi-Seemanchal region to finally get started
The Ministry of Railways has decided to commence the 58-km Kursela-Bihariganj New Line project, which falls in the Kosi-Seemanchal region of Bihar, 17 years after it was first announced. In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the project could not be taken up earlier because of low traffic projection.
'Kursela-Bihariganj (58 Km) New Line and Jalalgarh-Kishanganj (51.87 km) New Line projects were included in the Budget 2008-09. However execution of these projects could not be taken up due to low traffic projections. Subsequently, several representations were received to revive these two projects and after sanction of Bikramshila-Katarea New Line project, Kursela-Bihariganj New Line has become an operational requirement. As such, it has been decided to take up these projects,' said Vaishnaw.
Officials said that an allocation of Rs 170.8 crore has been provided in the financial year 2025-26 for these projects. The 26.23-km Bikramshila-Katreah project with a bridge over river Ganga was sanctioned in August 2024. The total cost of the project is Rs 2,549 crore. This project is in the vicinity of Tejnarayanpur-Sahibganj (35 km) which could not be taken forward due to low traffic projections. The outlay for the project has been kept as Rs 64.05 crore in FY26.
Vaishnaw added that a survey for 92-km Bihariganj-Virpur via Murliganj, Triveniganj, Bhimnagar new line project has been taken up and field survey has been completed.
In response to another question in the Lok Sabha, Union minister Vaishnaw said a total of eight surveys, covering a length of 1,351 km, have been taken up to improve the connectivity in Bihar. This includes Deen Dayal Upadhyay-Kiul third and fourth line, Chhapra-Katihar third and fourth line, Bihta-Aurangabad new line, Rampurhat-Dumka-Bhagalpur doubling, and Bakhtiyarpur-Tilaiya doubling, among others.
Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal correspondent with The Indian Express, Business Bureau. He covers India's two key ministries- Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. He frequently uses the Right to Information (RTI) Act for his stories, which have resulted in many impactful reports. ... Read More
