New Delhi, Mar 10 (UNI) Indian Railways has sanctioned infrastructure and technology upgradation works worth over Rs 765 crore aimed at strengthening operations, enhancing line capacity, and modernising communication systems across key sections of the railway network.
The approved projects include upgrades to electric traction systems on two high-density corridors and expansion of the optical fibre communication backbone in divisions of Western Railway.
A sum of Rs 318.07 crore has been sanctioned to upgrade the electric traction system on the 106-km Duvvada–Visakhapatnam–Vizianagaram section under East Coast Railway. The section will be upgraded from the existing 1×25 kV system to the advanced 2×25 kV system, enabling higher freight loading, improved speed potential, and enhanced reliability.
Located on the busy Howrah–Chennai railway route, the corridor plays a crucial role in transporting minerals and industrial goods from Odisha and Chhattisgarh to Visakhapatnam Port. The upgrade will strengthen traction power supply and ensure smoother freight movement while improving passenger train operations.
In another project, Rs 259.39 crore has been sanctioned for upgrading the electric traction system on the 126-km Raichur–Guntakal section, which falls under the South Central Railway’s Guntakal Division and spans parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The section will also be upgraded from 1×25 kV to 2×25 kV traction, allowing higher train loads, improved speed potential, and greater operational reliability. Situated on the busy Mumbai–Chennai railway route, the project will enhance traction power supply capacity and support faster passenger services, including trains like Vande Bharat Express, while facilitating smoother freight movement.
Additionally, Rs 187.88 crore has been sanctioned for strengthening the communication backbone in the Vadodara Division and Mumbai Central Division of Western Railway.
The project will involve the installation of a 4×48 core Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) backbone architecture to enhance bandwidth, ensure network redundancy, and support LTE-based systems such as the Kavach train protection system.
Under the project, optical fibre cables will be laid across 1,000 route kilometres, including 692 km in Vadodara Division and 308 km in Mumbai Division.
According to railway officials, the sanctioned projects form part of a nationwide programme included in the 2024–25 Railway Budget aimed at modernising traction systems and expanding digital communication infrastructure across the network.
The initiatives are expected to improve operational efficiency, enable higher freight loading, support modern train services, and strengthen the digital backbone required for advanced railway safety systems.
