Giving a major boost to freight transportation, Indian Railways has approved the Rs 172-crore Somtane–Chikhli Chord Line Project in Maharashtra to help decongest Panvel Junction.
“In a significant step towards enhancing rail capacity and improving freight movement in Maharashtra, Indian Railways has approved the construction of the 3.7-km Somtane–Chikhli Chord Line on Central Railway at a cost of Rs 172 crore,” the Ministry of Railways said on Wednesday.
The new chord line will bridge a critical missing rail link between Chikhli on the Karjat route and Somtane on the Roha route. It will provide seamless connectivity between the Karjat and Roha corridors without requiring trains to enter the congested Panvel Junction or undergo engine reversal.
Panvel is one of the busiest railway junctions in the Mumbai region, handling traffic from four major directions, including Roha, JNPT, Karjat, and Diva. The absence of a direct chord connection between the Karjat and Roha routes currently results in operational constraints and congestion, as trains are required to pass through Panvel Junction. The approved chord line will provide a direct connection, helping streamline train operations and improve network efficiency.
The project is particularly significant for freight traffic associated with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), which handles nearly 60 per cent of India’s container traffic.
At present, freight trains operating between the Karjat, Jasai, and Roha corridors are required to enter Panvel Junction and undergo engine reversals before proceeding further. With the commissioning of the Somtane–Chikhli Chord Line, freight trains will be able to bypass Panvel, resulting in substantial operational benefits.
The project is expected to save approximately 110 minutes of detention time per freight train, significantly improving turnaround time and logistics efficiency.
The new chord line is expected to facilitate the movement of an additional nine million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight traffic after completion. The project complements the already approved Panvel Elevated Chord Lines on the JNPT–Karjat and JNPT–Roha sections, completing a crucial missing link in the freight connectivity network serving western India.
With this approval, Indian Railways continues its focus on capacity augmentation, multimodal connectivity, and the development of efficient freight infrastructure to support India’s growing logistics and economic requirements.