Patna: In a major boost to railway infrastructure in Bihar, Indian Railways on Tuesday approved doubling of the 44.4-km Mansi-Saharsa section under East Central Railway (ECR) at a cost of Rs 499 crore. The project is expected to increase line capacity, improve operational efficiency and meet the growing demand for passenger and freight services on the route.The Mansi-Saharsa section is currently a single-line corridor on the Mansi-Saraigarh route, carrying heavy passenger and freight traffic. It handles 24 pairs of passenger trains daily in each direction besides transporting wheat, maize, ballast, boiled rice, cement, fertilisers, rice, salt, sand, stone and sugar.“The current line capacity utilisation has already reached 108.11% and is projected to increase to 119.34% by 2028-29, underscoring the urgent need for additional rail capacity,” an official said.Indian Railways said, “The doubling project will create additional line capacity, enabling smoother movement of both passenger and freight trains while reducing operational bottlenecks. The enhanced infrastructure will improve punctuality, increase operational flexibility and support future growth in rail traffic across the region.”After completion, the project is expected to facilitate handling of an additional 1.764 million tonnes per annum of freight traffic, strengthening logistics for agriculture, construction and other sectors of the regional economy.Originally laid as a metre-gauge track in Dec 1907 during British rule, the Mansi-Saharsa section served as a vital transport link for the flood-prone Kosi division. The Ministry of Railways approved its conversion to broad gauge in 1996, and the 44.4-km section was commissioned in 2005 after the work was completed.
