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In a major move to bolster the country’s logistics and industrial landscape, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, gave the green signal to the Ahmedabad (Sarkhej) – Dholera semi high-speed double line project by the Ministry of Railways, with a cumulative estimated cost of ₹20,667 crore. The double-line project is set to be the Indian Railway’s first semi-high-speed project planned with indigenously developed technology. The project aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of transforming India into a manufacturing, innovation, and logistics hub.
Union Home Minister and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, taking it to X, posted, “It is a matter of great joy for me as well that this project will pass through my parliamentary constituency. This 134 km long rail line will connect Ahmedabad to the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) and Greenfield Industrial Smart City and will ensure connectivity for Namo Bharat trains.” (English translation of his post in Hindi).
As per the reports, the double line is projected to be completed by 2030-31 and is designed to facilitate faster connectivity between Ahmedabad, Dholera SIR, the upcoming Dholera Airport, and the Lothal National Maritime Heritage Complex. Connecting a major city like Ahmedabad with Dholera will certainly cut the passenger travel time as well as improve the overall mobility and service reliability for the Indian Railways. As the nation’s first semi-high-speed rail project, it will act as a reference model for the phased expansion of similar services across India. The mega project has been planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, with a focus on multi-modal connectivity and integrated planning with stakeholders.
The approval by the cabinet is expected to be a game-changer for Dholera as the city is rapidly transforming and projecting itself as one of India’s most strategically important industrial hubs. Dholera International Airport, which is currently under construction, is expected to be completed by late 2026, and once operational, it will further strengthen cargo movement, exports, and global connectivity. Rail connectivity through the Bhimnath–Dholera rail corridor and future metro integration are also being planned as part of the broader smart city ecosystem.
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Southern Railway has invited Expressions of Interest (EoIs) from private developers to establish rail-linked cargo facilities at Angamali and Karukutty in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, aiming to strengthen freight connectivity, expand logistics infrastructure and encourage greater use of rail transport. The proposed facilities will focus on warehousing, cold storage, e-commerce logistics and cargo consolidation. The initiative, led by Southern Railway’s commercial branch, falls under Indian Railways’ Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals and Cargo-Related Facilities policy. It seeks to improve first- and last-mile connectivity by linking production centres with railway freight terminals and connecting them to markets through rail, road and other transport modes. Southern Railway has earmarked 4,400 square metres of railway land at Angamali and 3,240 square metres at Karukutty for the proposed facilities. Developers can indicate their specific land requirements rather than taking up the entire available area. Final land allocations and site suitability will be determined at the tender stage. The EoI process will help the railway assess market demand, potential investments and expected cargo volumes. Interested developers are expected to outline their proposed infrastructure and the types and quantities of freight they anticipate handling. Depending on demand and commercial viability, the facilities could accommodate warehouses, cold storage units for perishable goods, and storage and order-processing centres for e-commerce shipments. Additional services may include sorting, grading, packaging and labelling. Cold chain infrastructure could help preserve agricultural produce and other temperature-sensitive goods while reducing spoilage. Cargo consolidation would also enable smaller consignments to be grouped for onward rail transportation, potentially improving distribution efficiency for businesses and producers. Under the proposed framework, selected private developers will finance, develop and operate the facilities at their own cost and risk. The proposed licence period is 25 years, with applicable land charges and minimum railway freight commitments forming part of the contractual terms. The proposed facilities could strengthen Kerala’s multimodal logistics network by bringing storage, cargo handling and rail transportation closer together. Their eventual impact will depend on private-sector participation, cargo demand and the ability to integrate the sites with existing freight terminals and road networks. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 CARGOCONNECT 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬!
The Ministry of Railways has approved a ₹1.72 billion rail chord line project aimed at easing freight congestion around Panvel, a key rail junction serving western India and one of the country's busiest freight corridors. The new rail link is expected to improve freight train movement by providing a direct route that bypasses existing operational bottlenecks at Panvel. The project is designed to reduce delays, enhance network capacity and improve the efficiency of cargo movement to and from major ports and industrial hubs in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. According to railway officials, the chord line will facilitate smoother train operations by separating freight traffic from heavily utilised passenger routes. The additional infrastructure is expected to increase line capacity, shorten transit times and improve operational reliability for freight services. Panvel serves as a critical rail gateway connecting the Konkan Railway, Central Railway and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPA), making it a strategic node for container traffic, bulk cargo and industrial freight. Rising cargo volumes and increasing rail traffic have placed significant pressure on the existing network, prompting the need for capacity expansion. The approved investment forms part of the Railways' broader strategy to strengthen freight infrastructure through targeted capacity enhancement projects. By eliminating operational constraints at Panvel, the new chord line is expected to improve connectivity for port-linked cargo, support multimodal logistics and increase the share of freight transported by rail. For the logistics sector, the project is expected to deliver faster wagon turnaround, reduced network congestion and more reliable cargo flows between western India's ports, manufacturing centres and inland distribution hubs. The enhanced rail connectivity is also likely to support future growth in container traffic as freight demand continues to rise. Follow CARGOCONNECT for more such updates.
