Alibag Rail Line Project In Maharashtra Shelved Due To Low Traffic Projections, Alternate Route Awaiting RCF Consent: Vaishnaw

The Ministry of Railways has said that the Alibag Railway Line project in Maharashtra could not be taken forward due to low traffic projections.

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the "sanctioning of railway projects is a continuous and dynamic process of Indian Railway".

"Railway Infrastructure Projects are taken up on the basis of remunerativeness, last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes, augmentation of congested/saturated lines socio-economic considerations etc. depending upon liabilities of ongoing projects, overall availability of funds and competing demands," he said.

On the Alibag railway line project, Vaishnaw said, "The survey for construction of new line from Alibaug to Pen (28 km) was completed, but due to low traffic projection, project could not be taken forward".

"However, there is an existing private railway siding of Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF) from Pen to Thal (26.41 km) near Alibaug, which is not opened for passenger traffic," the minister said.

He said that the ministry had requested the central PSU RCF to give its consent for running the passenger trains on the route but is yet to receive it.

"Railway has requested RCF to convey consent for running passenger trains on this line. Such requests were made in 2019 and 2020. However, RCF has not yet given consent," Vaishnaw said.

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