Chief Commissioner of Rail Safety (CCRS) Sudarshan Nayak hinted that the lohardaga-Tori line may get commissioned officially by the end of March this year. Nayak alongwith his team of technical officers on Monday inspected the newly constructed line and gave required directions to the railway officials present there.
Officials said that train on the route could be run on the route only after the final nod given by the CCRS through his report to the Railway Board.
“The inspection started at 6:30 in the morning and lasted till 5:45 in the evening during which the CCRS looked quite satisfied and hinted that the line may be started soon by the end of March this year,” said a senior Railway official. The 30 km lohardaga-Tori project involving Rs 580 crore will reduce 106 km distance between Ranchi and Delhi via lohardaga-Tori and curtail two to three hours of travel time, he said.
The CCRS, however, said that still there were some works which needs to be completed without making clear specifications.
“There are some woks which need to be completed and there are chances that the line may get started by the end of this March,” Nayak was quoted as saying.
The sources however revealed that the CCRS was not satisfied with the drainage system near the tracks at some of the locations and also directed the officials to expedite the ongoing netting of hillocks where the tracks have been laid by cutting the hills.
“Chances of accident at some of the sharp turns were also expressed by the CCRS during the inspection,” said the source.
The lohardaga-Tori stretch was scheduled to be completed by 2009-10 but repeated harassment by Maoists slowed the progress of work. Much of the delay has been due to rebel activity in the area as at least on three occasions the Maoists abducted men engaged in laying tracks on the Barkichampi - Tori route.
The lohardaga-Tori link would ultimately join the existing Daltonganj-Delhi main line, thus reducing the journey time between Ranchi and Delhi by about three hours. At present, the distance between Ranchi and Delhi, via Muri-Barkakana-Tori, is about 1,300 km. The new route will enable trains from Ranchi to reach Tori via lohardaga and then take the Daltonganj-Delhi route.