Indian Railways has cleared the doubling of the 44.40-km Mansi-Saharsa section in Bihar, a project pegged at Rs 499 crore, to relieve pressure on a single-line stretch that is already running well beyond its capacity.
The stretch forms part of the Mansi-Saraigarh route on East Central Railway and handles 24 pairs of passenger trains a day in each direction, alongside heavy freight traffic. Wheat, maize, cement, fertiliser and sugar move through the corridor regularly, as do salt, sand, stone, ballast and boiled rice.
Mansi-Saharsa line already over capacity
Capacity utilisation on the Mansi-Saharsa section stands at 108.11% already, past what the single track was built to handle, and is expected to touch 119.34% by 2028-29 if nothing changes.
A second parallel track means trains no longer have to wait their turn to use the same line in both directions, which is usually where delays on single-line sections pile up.
Mansi-Saharsa line: What it means for freight and passengers
Once the second line is up, the Railways expects to handle an extra 1.764 million tonnes of freight a year on the route. That additional capacity is meant to serve the agriculture and construction sectors in particular, both of which lean on this corridor to move raw material and produce in and out of the region.
For passengers, the payoff should show up in fewer delays and more scheduling room for trains on the route, according to the Railways.
Mansi-Saharsa line: Fits a larger pattern
The Mansi-Saharsa project is one of several such doubling works the Railways has taken up on busy corridors nationally as it tries to keep pace with rising freight and passenger volumes. East Central Railway has pushed through similar capacity works elsewhere in Bihar in recent years, reflecting the broader strain on the state’s rail network. The ministry has not specified on a completion timeline for the project.