Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday, received a gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who dedicated to the nation the New Bhaupur-New Khurja section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) through video conference in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Built by Tata Projects Ltd, the New Bhaupur- New Khurja section of the EDFC will be a boon for landlocked states like Uttar Pradesh that are not connected by maritime boundaries.
“We have planned to start two dedicated freight corridors. The first one will connect Punjab’s Ludhiana to Dankuni in West Bengal. The second one will connect JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) in Maharashtra to Dadri in Uttar Pradesh, which will be close to Jewar Airport,” PM Modi said.
Praising PM Modi’s leadership, Yogi said that it was only because of the prime minister that the Indian Railways were running on the track of development.
“The prime minister has dedicated the New Bhaupur-New Khurja section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor to the nation today, which is a matter of happiness for the people of the state,” he said.
Pointing out that the work on about 6,000 new lines, gauge conversion and doubling projects was in progress in Uttar Pradesh, the CM said that with the formation of this freight corridor, there would be ease in carrying and transporting goods.
“The construction of this freight corridor is very important for a landlocked state like Uttar Pradesh. It is a pleasure for the people of the state that 75 per cent of this section of the corridor passes through UP,” the CM added.
Built at a cost of Rs 5,750 crore, the 351-kilometre-long New Bhaupur-New Khurja section of the EDFC in Uttar Pradesh is completely dedicated to freight trains.
The average speed of the freight trains on this corridor will now increase from 25 km/hour to 75 km/hour. With the increase in speed, the new corridor will reduce costs and the risks of damage to the goods will also be very less.
This section will open new vistas for industries, traders and farmers and will play a major role in making India self-reliant (Atmanirbhar).
It may be mentioned here that this section will not only decongest the existing Kanpur-Delhi mainline but also enable the Indian Railways to run faster trains.