Indian Railways has approved the doubling of the 10.86-km Chouk-Karjat railway section of Central Railway in Maharashtra at an estimated cost of ₹497 crore, in a move aimed at increasing rail capacity and improving passenger and freight train operations.
The project has been approved under the umbrella works covering doubling, tripling, quadrupling, flyover and bypass projects undertaken to augment capacity across the railway network.
The Chouk-Karjat section forms part of the Panvel-Chouk-Karjat route, an important corridor for both passenger and freight traffic. The section is currently a single-line stretch, and its doubling is expected to provide additional capacity and facilitate smoother train operations.
Five additional passenger trains in each direction
After completion, the project is expected to enable the operation of five additional passenger trains in each direction per day.
The upgraded section is also expected to support additional freight traffic of 18.35 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), while helping reduce the detention of freight trains.
The doubling project is part of Indian Railways’ broader efforts to strengthen railway infrastructure and address capacity constraints on key routes.
