Prayagraj: More than a year after freight movement came to a halt at Jaypee cement plant in Prayagraj following insolvency proceedings, train operations at the facility are now set to resume, bringing much-needed relief to the railway authorities as well as the cement industry.The resumption of operations is expected to boost freight earnings for North Central Railway (NCR) and revive one of the region’s major industrial transport hubs.The trouble began in June 2024, when Jai Prakash Associates Ltd(JAL), which owned the plant, entered insolvency proceedings after National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted the company under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. As a result, operations at the Madhya Pradesh-based manufacturing unit and its railway siding remained suspended.Following NCLT’s decision, the assets were transferred to Adani Infra (India) Ltd. Later, under a business transfer agreement, the railway siding was handed over to Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd on May 21, 2026.The company restarted operations in June, and the plant produced 35,170 tonnes of cement in July alone.However, another obstacle soon emerged. Railway officials found a damaged bridge girder on the plant’s railway siding, which had been struck by a vehicle travelling along a nearby national highway. The siding was subsequently declared unfit for operations in Jan 2026.Officials said the damaged structure was dismantled in July and reinstalled after repairs on Tuesday, paving the way for the resumption of rail traffic.A fresh commercial agreement between NCR and Dalmia Cement is expected to be signed shortly. According to railway officials, the inward movement of clinker, the key raw material used in cement manufacturing, is likely to begin during the second week of Aug.When the siding was fully operational during the 2023-24 financial year, it handled an average of 14 outward cement rakes and 13 inward clinker rakes every month. Railway officials now expect freight movement to increase to nearly 20 to 25 rakes per month, significantly boosting the zone’s earnings.
