News Brief
Rs 2,380-Crore Nagpur–Nagbhid Rail Gauge Conversion Project Aims To Cut Coal Transport Time From 22 To 4 Hours By 2027
A broad gauge railway line. (Wikimedia Commons) (Representative Image)
MahaRail Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (MahaRail) will complete the first phase of the Rs 2,380 crore Nagpur-Nagbhid gauge conversion project by March 2026, reported The Times of India.
The project aims to transform passenger and freight operations across the region.
Phase I consists of the 61-kilometre Itwari-Umred stretch, while Phase II, which would include 55 kilometres from Umred to Nagbhid, is scheduled to be completed in March 2027.
MahaRail has already completed projects worth more than Rs 2,025 crore, with evident progress over various stretches.
In September 2025, the state cabinet approved an extra Rs 491 crore for its share.
The project cost was originally anticipated at Rs 1,400 crore but increased to Rs 2,380 crore due to forest department mitigation efforts, steel price increases, and implementation delays, according to an official.
A key highlight is the Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal at Umred, designed to speed coal movement from Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) to power plants, including MAHAGENCO Koradi, Adani Power Kachewan, and NTPC.
The terminal will load 4–5 coal rakes daily, cutting transport time from 22 hours to just four, boosting SECR freight efficiency.
For the first time, MahaRail is using New Track construction (NT) machinery to lay up to 1.5 km of track every day, compared to 250-300 metres previously, resulting in faster, more precise, and high-quality track construction.
Upon completion, the broad-gauge line will directly link Nagpur-Nagbhid to WCL’s Umred mines, decongest Nagpur station, integrate Vidarbha’s narrow-gauge routes into the national network, enhance connectivity, and strengthen regional industrial growth and energy logistics.
