Mumbai, Aug. 3 -- Indian Railways has sanctioned the upgradation of the electric traction system on the Parbhani?Mudkhed double line section in the Nanded division of South Central Railway. The project has been approved at a cost of Rs 1,630 million and includes associated power supply installation works. The sanction forms part of ongoing measures to modernise electrical infrastructure on high density corridors. The approval follows detailed technical appraisal and aligns with budgetary allocations for the division.
The scope covers conversion of the existing 1x25 kV traction system to a 2x25 kV system over 164 track kilometres, accompanied by upgraded substations and feeder arrangements to meet higher electrical load. The enhanced system will improve capacity and reliability of traction supply on the route. Technical work will focus on power supply strengthening to support increased train operations. The works will also upgrade distribution networks and protection systems to maintain stable supply during peak operations.
The Parbhani?Mudkhed section is on the Highly Utilised Network (HUN) Route?9 that links Ajmer, Indore, Khandwa, Akola, Purna, Mudkhed, Secunderabad, Mahbubnagar and Dhone. The corridor carries substantial freight and passenger traffic and has been prioritised for capacity augmentation. The project complements wider electrification and signalling upgrades across the division. Officials said the upgrade is intended to ease congestion and support more predictable timetabling for freight and passenger services.
Railways officials envisage that the upgraded traction will enable the section to handle higher freight volumes and support operation of Vande Bharat Express trains on the corridor. The scheme is aligned with Indian Railways' freight target of three billion tonnes by 2029-30 and with efforts to enhance operational efficiency on busy routes. Implementation is expected to reduce bottlenecks and improve energy utilisation in traction modes. The work is part of a broader strategy to strengthen network resilience and meet future traffic growth.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.