New Railway Line Between Mukutban and Gadchandur Approved

Indian Railways has approved a new 38.21-kilometre railway line between Mukutban and Gadchandur under the South Central Railway jurisdiction, with an allocation of ₹493 crore. The project is aimed at strengthening regional rail connectivity and improving passenger and freight movement. Mukutban in Yavatmal district and Gadchandur in Chandrapur district are important industrial and mining centres serving several cement plants, Western Coalfields Limited coal mines and limestone mines. The new line is expected to reduce travel distance, time and transportation costs while providing an alternative route to ease congestion on the existing Wardha–Manikgarh section.

According to the Detailed Project Report, the new route is expected to handle two MEMU services in each direction every day and around 6.08 million tonnes of freight annually. Coal, coke, cement, sponge iron, scrap iron, steel, fertilisers and food grains are expected to be among the major commodities transported. The line will also provide direct connectivity from coal and cement clusters to the Majri–Nanded route, facilitating freight movement towards Jalna, Parbhani, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The project is also expected to reduce dependence on the busy Balharshah–Nagpur high-density route and support industrial and economic development in Yavatmal and Chandrapur.