CHANDIGARH: A railway corridor called the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor will connect Palwal and Sonipat, diverting rail traffic not meant for Delhi and thereby mitigating the congestion in the national capital. Sources said the rail line will start from Palwal and end at existing Harsana Kalan station on the Delhi-Ambala section.
The line will pass through Patli Sultanpur and Asaudha stations and through Sohna, Manesar and Kharkhauda. Once completed in the next five years the line is expected to be used by 20,000 passengers every day and support 50 metric tons of freight movement.
The rail corridor is much like the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway that decongests road traffic in Delhi. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved the Haryana Orbit Rail Corridor Project at an estimated cost of Rs 5,617.69 crore. Now, the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation has sent two project plans, including an anticipated cost of Rs 191.73 crore of the project in Kaithal city and Jhajjar-Narnaul new railway line, to the Centre for a feasibility study.
Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited chairperson and additional chief secretary Rajeev Arora said after the approval of a broad gauge electrified double railway line from Palwal to Sonipat, the HRIDC has implemented two railway projects.
He said direct rail connectivity would be available from Jhajjar to Narnaul and this would enhance development in south Haryana. Arora said a railway line of about 85-km will connect north and south Haryana. He said a DPR for construction of an elevated railway track in Kaithal was sent to the Centre for approval. He said the HRIDC had approved both the proposals on September 9 and has also decided to send these proposals after the CM’s approval.