Patna: The Railway Board has approved a proposal for the construction of a new four-lane rail bridge over the Son River at Koilwar, paving the way for a major expansion of rail infrastructure on the busy Howrah-Patna-DDU section.
The proposed bridge, estimated to cost between Rs 3,500 crore and Rs 4,000 crore, will be constructed parallel to the existing Koilwar rail bridge.
Following the Railway Board’s approval, East Central Railway has prepared the project report and submitted the assessment report to the Board. The proposal will now be sent to the Union Cabinet for approval.
Four Rail Lines To Be Available
Once the new bridge is completed, the existing and proposed bridges together will provide four rail lines over the Son River.
This is expected to allow three trains to operate simultaneously in the up direction and three in the down direction.
At present, the Koilwar bridge has only two rail lines, which limits train movement across the bridge. Trains have to cross one at a time on the up and down lines.
Congestion On Busy Rail Section
The Koilwar bridge is located on the heavily used Howrah-Patna-DDU rail section. With only two lines currently available, trains frequently have to be halted near Danapur or Bihta stations while other trains cross the bridge.
The stoppages can affect the movement of following trains and contribute to delays.
Railway officials said the additional bridge would help streamline train operations and facilitate smoother movement on the section.
Speeds Of Up To 180 Kmph Envisaged
The new bridge is also expected to contribute to higher train speeds between DDU, Patna and Howrah.
According to the proposal, infrastructure upgrades on the route could eventually enable trains to operate at speeds of up to 180 kmph.
The Railways is also working on a plan to construct third and fourth rail lines between DDU and Jhajha. The proposal for the additional Koilwar bridge has been prepared as part of this broader infrastructure expansion.
Cabinet Approval Next
Saraswati Chandra, Chief Public Relations Officer of East Central Railway, said the bridge proposal had received Railway Board approval and would now be forwarded to the Union Cabinet.
She said construction would begin after Cabinet approval and added that the project would help increase train speeds and streamline rail operations.
The Railways is focusing on upgrading infrastructure on key routes to ensure train operations can achieve prescribed speeds.
Other Double-Decker Bridge Project
According to railway experts, a separate double-decker bridge project is also under construction in Greater Noida on the Lucknow-Delhi route.
The project is estimated to cost around Rs 900 crore and is expected to span approximately 2.5 km. The proposed route extends from the 130-metre road through Crossing Republik to NH-9.
