2 rail projects for coal evacuation likely by FY'17

NEW DELHI: The government today said two rail projects - Tori-Shivpur and Gopalpur-Monaharpur - with investment of Rs 3,045 crore are likely to be completed by the end of 2017 and will facilitate coal evacuation besides pushing up the fuel production.


While Tori-Shivpur rail link is in Jharkhand, Gopalpur- Monaharpur is in Odisha.

The third link, Mand-Raigarh Phase-I in Chhattisgarh, is expected to be completed in the beginning of the next Five Year Plan period, Minister of State for Coal Pratik Prakashbapu Patil said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

According to the reply, the first two projects are 'anticipated' to be completed by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan period (2012-17).

"Commissioning of these rail projects would facilitate coal evacuation from ongoing and future projects and thus help in increasing the production and supply of coal from these coalfields," the minister said.

Patil further said that the quantum of coal that is likely to handled by three rail links is envisaged at 150 million tonnes per annum ( MTPA).