Patna: The commissioner of railway safety (CRS), eastern circle, Kolkata, Guru Prakash, has authorised the railways to begin passenger and goods train operations on the newly constructed 20-km Neora-Jatdumri line, a move expected to ease congestion on the busy Danapur-Patna-Kiul-Jhajha mainline.The CRS inspected the Neora-Jatdumri line on Oct 8 and conducted a successful trial run of a special train at 120kmph to assess the track, signalling system and overhead electrical equipment. The safety clearance has paved the way for train operations on the route, East Central Railway (ECR) chief public relations officer (CPRO) Saraswati Chandra said.In the first phase, the railways commissioned the 22.74-km Jatdumri-Daniyawan section. With clearance for the Neora-Jatdumri stretch, the bypass corridor connecting Neora, Jatdumri, Daniyawan, Biharsharif, Barbigha, Sheikhpura and Kiul is gradually taking shape as an alternative rail route, he said.The corridor is expected to ease pressure on the saturated Danapur-Patna-Kiul-Jhajha mainline, which handles heavy passenger and freight traffic.“Diversion of goods trains to the bypass route will help reduce pressure on the existing mainline, creating additional capacity for passenger services,” Chandra said.The bypass is also expected to improve operational flexibility and facilitate smoother movement of freight trains, allowing the railways to accommodate more passenger services on the mainline.The project is significant for the Patna region, where the existing network handles long-distance passenger trains, local services and freight traffic. Once fully operational, the bypass corridor is expected to improve traffic management and overall railway operations in Danapur division, Chandra said.
