Jharkhand will get a new intercity train from Barkakana to Patna soon by next fiscal year. Talking to the media persons in Ranchi, Divisional Railway Manager of Dhanbad Division Manoj Kumar Akhauri also said that a parallel line along with the existing Dhanbad Chandrapura line was being planned from Gomoh to Matari Station as an alternative arrangement to restart the route. “It’s a historical day for Ranchi as a new line from Ranchi to Barkakana is being constructed reducing the distance from 120 to 63 km,” said the Dhanbad DRM. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the next financial year as some of the tunnels were yet to be completed, he added.
Akhauri was talking to the media persons after coming back from the inspection of the line from Tatisilwai to Saakhi near BIT Mesra lead by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (Eastern Circle) Pramod Kumar Acharya. Testing of the line was done by running a train on the speed of 110-120 km per hour. “Till the line becomes functional, a proposal has already been sent to the ministry for an Intercity Train from Barkakana to Patna which will be later extended to Ranchi,” said the DRM. Proposal for at least two pair of trains from Tatisilwai to Saakhi will also sent to ministry, he added. The DRM also informed that the process of electrification from Ranchi- Barkakana – Hazaribagh line has been started.
