Indian Railways Rs 1131 Crore Project Bihar West Bengal Jharkhand

Indian Railways new projects 2026: The Ministry of Railways has approved multiple projects worth Rs 1,311 crore across Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand. These rail projects are aimed at eliminating congestion, enhancing line capacity, improving safety systems and enabling faster, more passenger and freight train movements.

Let’s have a look at these railway projects that are set to deliver faster train journeys, greater freight efficiency, improved safety, and economic growth.

The Mansi-Saharsa railway line doubling project in Bihar has been approved at Rs 499 crore. The project falls under the administrative jurisdiction of East Central Railway (ECR).

Currently, the Mansi-Saharsa section is a single-line rail corridor on the Mansi-Saraigarh route, carrying heavy passenger and freight traffic. Around 48 passenger trains run on this section, along with freight trains transporting essential goods such as wheat, maize, ballast, boiled rice, cement, fertilisers, salt, sand, stone and sugar.

According to the national transporter, the line capacity utilisation has already reached 108.11 per cent and is projected to increase to 119.34 pr cent by 2028-29.

To meet the growing demand, the doubling project will add extra rail capacity, allowing smoother movement of both passenger and freight trains. Once completed, it is expected to handle an additional 1.764 million tonnes of freight traffic every year.

The Ministry of Railways has also approved a Rs 432 crore project to replace relay-based interlocking systems with modern Electronic Interlocking (EI) at 27 stations and cabins, including one Intermediate Block Signalling (IBS) location, on the High Density Network (HDN) and Highly Utilised Network (HUN) routes in the Asansol Division of Eastern Railway.

According to the national transporter, the project will replace 28 relay-based interlocking installations (27 PI/RRI and one IBS) with advanced Electronic Interlocking systems. The upgrade is expected to improve the safety, reliability and operational efficiency of train services.

“Electronic Interlocking is a modern signalling technology that replaces ageing relay-based systems with computer-based interlocking, ensuring higher reliability, faster fault diagnosis, easier maintenance and enhanced operational flexibility,” it said.

It also approved a Rs 200 crore project to provide the remaining 48-fibre Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) network across South Eastern Railway (SER).

The project will lay 48-fibre OFC over 1,696.2 route kilometres (RKm) across four divisions: Adra (545.4 RKm), Chakradharpur (392.3 RKm), Kharagpur (339.9 RKm) and Ranchi (418.6 RKm). The upgraded fibre network will strengthen railway communications and support safer, more efficient train operations.

Anish Mondal is a journalist with over nine years of experience covering the railways and roadways. Currently a member of the Indianexpress.com editorial team, Anish specializes in high-impact sectors. Professional Journey Anish began his career at the public broadcaster Rajya Sabha Television (now Sansad TV), where he developed a foundational understanding of legislative processes and national governance. In 2018, he transitioned to digital financial journalism at FinancialExpress.com, spending nearly six years refining his expertise in market trends and corporate reporting. Before joining The Indian Express in 2025, he served as a key contributor at ETNowNews.com. Education & Expertise Anish’s reporting is backed by a rigorous academic background in communication and the humanities: Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC) – Apeejay Stya University Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Production (PGTVRJP) – Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication Bachelor of Arts (English Honours) – University of Calcutta Areas of Coverage Connectivity: Detailed reporting on the expansion of Indian Railways and National Highway networks. ... Read More