Redevelopment works at Chamarajanagar station are slated for a February finish under the central Amrit Bharat scheme.

Redevelopment work at Chamarajanagar railway station under the Amrit Bharat scheme is expected to be completed by February, with South Western Railway (SWR) officials directing the executing agency to finish all pending works within the stipulated timeline.

The project, undertaken at a total cost of Rs.24 crore, has now reached its final stages. A team led by Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager Mudith Mittal inspected the site and instructed officials and the agency to complete the remaining work by the end of February, Mysuru Divisional Finance Manager Prithvi Ullatthi

“About 90% of the work, mostly civil and electrical, has been completed. The agency is now focusing on remaining beautification works on a war footing to meet the February deadline,” he said. The redevelopment aims to enhance connectivity to the border district, decongest Mysuru railway station, promote tourism, and support industrial growth. Originally built with a single platform during broad gauge conversion, the station has now been extended to both sides, with two tracks capable of accommodating 24-coach trains on each platform.

Major works completed include electrification, construction of separate waiting rooms for men and women with toilet facilities, a reservation room with an extended concourse, a cafeteria, and a catering stall. Coach guidance display boards, signage, and façade improvements have also been installed, giving the station a modernized look. In addition, the station approach roads have been widened, parking lots for two- and four-wheelers developed, and remaining civil and fabrication works completed. The redevelopment was executed in two phases, each costing Rs.12 crore. Once the project is fully complete, senior railway officials will conduct a final inspection and recommend a safety trial run before opening the station to the public. “The redevelopment, along with two-track development, will improve connectivity, facilitate trade and commerce, boost tourism, support industries, and promote farmer produce,” said Maheshprabu, general secretary of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Chamarajanagar chapter. This redevelopment is expected to transform Chamarajanagar station into a modern transport hub, enhancing passenger experience and regional connectivity.

Redevelopment projects launched at six key Bihar stations aim to double their train and passenger handling limits.

Six key railway stations in Bihar—Patna, Gaya, Deen Dayal Upadhaya Junction (DDU), Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, and Bhagalpur—are slated for extensive redevelopment over the next five years, with the aim of doubling their traffic-handling capacity, officials said.

Five of these stations fall under the jurisdiction of the East Central Railway (ECR).

ECR Chief Public Relations Officer Saraswati Chandra said Patna Junction will undergo one of the most ambitious upgrades, including the construction of five additional terminals dedicated to suburban train services on the Hardinge Park land. Estimated at Rs.95 crore, the project is expected to decongest the main station and improve suburban connectivity.

DDU, one of eastern India’s busiest rail hubs, will have its operational capacity doubled through improved traffic management, construction of new stabling yards, and comprehensive yard remodeling at a cost of Rs.17 crore, Chandra added.

Gaya Junction is being transformed into a world-class station with an investment of Rs.296 crore.

The redevelopment will include additional stabling yards, increased line capacity, and advanced automatic signalling systems to ensure safer and smoother train operations.

Muzaffarpur Junction is also being upgraded into a world-class station with Rs.442 crore earmarked for the project, focusing on expanded yard facilities, higher line capacity, and modernised passenger amenities to handle future traffic growth. Darbhanga will be redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), which aims to improve passenger facilities, station aesthetics, and operational efficiency while supporting higher train movements.

In addition to station-centric projects, the Patna–Jhajha–DDU main line is set for major capacity expansion. Plans are underway to lay third and fourth railway lines, further easing congestion on the critical DDU–Patna–Jhajha–Howrah corridor.

“These projects collectively mark a significant step toward modernising Bihar’s rail network, enhancing passenger experience, and supporting the state’s growing economic and mobility needs,” Chandra said.

New Mangalore Port Authority to Build Satellite Port at Pavinakurve, Karnataka.

The New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPT), the Union government-owned entity that operates the major port at New Mangalore, will develop a new port at Pavinakurve in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district after three previous attempts by the state government to build the port failed due to lack of bidder interest.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal informed the Lok Sabha on December 5 that a proposal has been initiated to develop Pavinakurve as an independent port in collaboration with NMPT. The Karnataka Maritime Board, responsible for port development in the state, had made three attempts over two years to develop the port through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with private investment of Rs.3,047.86 crore. The proposed port will be located on the banks of the Sharavathi and Badagani rivers near Pavinakurve village in Honnavar taluka.

According to the state’s plan, the port will have an initial cargo handling capacity of 14 million tonnes (mt), which could be expanded to 37.4 mt by 2050. The port will feature water depths capable of accommodating Capesize vessels, the largest dry bulk carriers.

In September 2022, the Karnataka government floated global tenders to develop deepwater greenfield ports at Keni-Belekeri and Pavinakurve. While JSW Infrastructure Ltd was awarded the Keni port project as the sole bidder, Pavinakurve failed to attract any bidders. Subsequent attempts to find a PPP operator also drew no participants.

NMPT had earlier expressed interest in developing Pavinakurve as a satellite port and formally requested a site from the state government. The port authority is expected to hire a consultant to conduct a techno-economic feasibility study before moving forward with the project.

Gadkari Inaugurates Eight Rail-Road Projects in Vidarbha.

Vidarbha marked a significant boost in rail-road connectivity recently as Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated eight major infrastructure projects across the region. The projects include four road over bridges (RoBs), three subways (RuBs), and the long-awaited Lakadganj flyover in Nagpur, aimed at easing traffic congestion, improving road safety, and eliminating delays at railway level crossings.

The inaugurations were part of a larger state-level event that saw 12 major rail-road projects, worth Rs.609 crore and constructed by Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (MRIDC), or MahaRail, dedicated to the public. While the projects span seven districts of Maharashtra, a significant number are located in Vidarbha, highlighting the region’s growing focus in infrastructure planning.

Addressing the event via video conferencing, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis noted that Maharashtra currently has 524 railway level crossings, of which 240 RoBs are being built by the railways, 73 by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and the remaining 211 by MahaRail. Of these 211 sites, 80 lack any railway crossing or subway despite residential and commercial areas on both sides, causing severe traffic congestion, with 13 of these located in Nagpur. Fadnavis emphasized the government’s commitment to making Maharashtra “railway-crossing free.”

The main inauguration ceremony was held at Lakadganj in east Nagpur, where Gadkari opened the 1,372-metre-long flyover, a Rs.135 crore urban mobility project funded by the Maharashtra Urban Development Department. The flyover is expected to significantly ease commuter traffic on the busy Old Bhandara Road corridor. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Public Works Minister Shivendraraje Bhosale, Minister of State Ashish Jaiswal, and other dignitaries were present.

In Vidarbha, the newly inaugurated RoBs are at Katol, Kalamna, Tirora, and Sakharwahi, while three subways have been constructed in Chandrapur and two in Amravati district. The structures are designed to remove dangerous level crossings, ensure smoother traffic flow, and reduce accident risks.

Executed under a 50:50 cost-sharing model between the Ministry of Railways and the Maharashtra government, the projects are expected to substantially reduce travel time and traffic congestion while boosting regional development. MahaRail Managing Director Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal noted that the subways are equipped with robust drainage systems and protective structures to prevent waterlogging during monsoon, ensuring long-term safety and reliability.