Chandigarh: The Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC) on Monday approved a revised project cost of Rs 11,709 crore and reviewed progress on major rail connectivity projects across the state.The decision was taken at the 34th meeting of the board of directors, chaired by chief secretary Anurag Rastogi.Among the flagship projects reviewed was the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC), which is expected to improve rail connectivity to major industrial and logistics hubs such as Kharkhoda, Manesar and Sohna.The officials said excavation of 4,349 metres, or around 61% of the planned 7,070-metre tunnel, had been completed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), with work underway simultaneously from nine faces.The project has also received major environmental and forest clearances, including stage-I forest clearance in October 2025, approval for the remaining tunnel alignment in Rojka Meo on March 4, 2026, and Aravalli clearance on March 20. The HRIDC said it had disbursed Rs 1,929 crore, or about 85% of the total compensation award of Rs 2,273 crore, to landowners across five districts. In the case of private land, Rs 1,346 crore, or 95% of the award, has already been paid. The board also reviewed the Kurukshetra elevated track (KET) project, which is nearing completion and is expected to be commissioned in April 2026. All 21 spans of the elevated viaduct have been completed, along with civil, track, signalling and electrification works.Meanwhile, progress on the Eastern Orbital Rail Corridor (EORC) — linking Sonipat to Palwal via Baghpat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar — was also reviewed. The officials said field surveys, drone mapping and traffic assessments had been completed, while the final feasibility report was expected shortly.The projects are aimed at improving freight movement, reducing transit time and boosting industrial growth in Haryana and the NCR region.
