Trial run of goods train on Shambhu-Sahnewal stretch on June 13

The first trial run of a full-fledged goods train on the single line track of Shambhu-Sahnewal portion of the Sahnewal-Pilkhani section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor is set to take place on June 13.

Separating freight traffic from passenger trains, the 82-km section is part of the total 175.1-km section from Sahnewal in Punjab to Pilkhani in Uttar Pradesh covering Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Ambala, Yamunanagar and Saharanpur districts of three states.

This section is being managed by the Ambala unit of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL).

The unit is constructing the corridor in three phases, Shambhu-Sahnewal in Punjab (82 km), the Kalanaur-Pilkhani part in Uttar Pradesh (16.8 km) and Shambhu-Kalanaur in Haryana (76.7 km).

Officials of the unit on June 6 wrote to its managing director seeking authorisation for conducting the trial run and requirement of an electric logo goods train for the same.

Pankaj Gupta, chief general manager (CGM), DFCCIL, Ambala unit, said that the request was approved and a trial run with a speed of 50-60 kmph will take place at 12 noon.

“There are a total of 14 new stations allowing crossings, out of which six – New Shambhu, New Sarai Banjara, New Mandi Gobindgarh, New Sirhind, New Khanna and New Chawapail – are part of the section where trial run will take place. Work on the section in Uttar Pradesh has almost been completed and trail run might be conducted by June 30 and on the Haryana section by August 15,” he said.

Earlier, the Punjab section was to be completed by end of last year, but due to weather-related and other issues, it was postponed twice.

To make way for the construction of the New Gobindgarh station of the corridor, the DFCCIL permanently diverted a 3.8 km stretch between Mandi Gobindgarh railway station and Sirhind on the Ambala-Ludhiana rail line.

In Haryana, the project suffered a severe delay primarily because the corridor was passing through the military area in Ambala Cantonment and a CSD canteen was to be demolished to allow passage of tracks.

“The demolition is underway and the work to lay the tracks at the site has also been started. In exchange for land, a fund of ₹127 crore is to be given to the army and we are also constructing a new CSD canteen and a children’s park,” Gupta added.

The creation of rail infrastructure on such large scale, the authorities believe will drive the establishment of industrial corridors and logistic parks along its alignment and once completed, these corridors will enable the railways to improve its customer orientation and meet market needs more effectively.

The average speed on the corridor is expected to be 60-65 kmph with a maximum being 75 kmph, as against 25 kmph on main rail line, allowing the railways to increase the passenger train traffic on the main line once goods trains are shifted to the new tracks.