In a significant boost to railway infrastructure in Bihar, Indian Railways has approved the doubling of the 44.40 km Mansi-Saharsa section of East Central Railway at a cost of ₹499 crore. The project will augment line capacity, improve operational efficiency and cater to the growing demand for passenger and freight movement on this important route.

Capacity Enhancement on a Busy Rail Corridor

The Mansi-Saharsa section is presently a single-line corridor on the Mansi-Saraigarh route, handling heavy passenger and freight traffic. The section operates 24 pairs of passenger trains in each direction while also facilitating transportation of essential commodities such as wheat, maize, ballast, boiled rice, cement, fertilisers, rice, salt, sand, stone and sugar.

The current line capacity utilisation has already reached 108.11% and is projected to increase to 119.34% by 2028-29, underscoring the urgent need for additional rail capacity.

Boost to Passenger Services and Freight Movement

The doubling project will create additional line capacity, enabling smoother movement of both passenger and freight trains while reducing operational bottlenecks. The enhanced infrastructure will improve punctuality, increase operational flexibility and support future growth in rail traffic across the region.

Upon commissioning, the project is expected to facilitate handling of an additional 1.764 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) of freight traffic, strengthening logistics for agriculture, construction and other key sectors of the regional economy.

The project forms part of Indian Railways' continued efforts to expand capacity on high-demand routes, improve service reliability and support faster, safer and more efficient transportation for passengers and freight across the country.

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Dharmendra Tewari/ Dr. Nayan Solanki/ Ritu Raj/ Manik Sharma