Moradabad Bypass: ₹14,926 Crore Mega Plan to Decongest Ghaziabad-Sitapur Route
Indian Railways has reached a major milestone in its mission to overhaul regional connectivity by completing the final location survey for a 141-kilometer bypass segment. This critical component is part of a massive infrastructure undertaking aimed at laying third and fourth railway lines between Moradabad and Ghaziabad to alleviate extreme traffic pressure.
Bypassing the Bottlenecks: New Stations and Routes
To tackle severe congestion, the new alignment is strategically designed to bypass the existing Moradabad station. The railway authorities have identified a site for a 'New Moradabad' station located between Dalpatpur and Mundhapande. Furthermore, the expansion includes plans for a 'New Hapur' station to facilitate smoother operations.
The bypass strategy is not limited to one area; it aims to address heavily congested nodes including Hapur, Simbhaoli, Rampur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, and Sitapur. This ensures that the movement of trains is no longer throttled by existing station bottlenecks.
A Massive ₹14,926 Crore Infrastructure Leap
This initiative is part of a much broader 403-kilometer project connecting Ghaziabad and Sitapur. The project, which received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, carries an estimated investment of ₹14,926 crore. The necessity for such an enormous expansion is driven by alarming capacity figures: the current line capacity utilization stands at 168% and is projected to hit a critical 207% without these new lines.
Economic and Environmental Impact
The expansion is expected to deliver transformative benefits across several sectors:
- Employment Generation: The construction phase is projected to create 274 lakh human-days of employment.
- Freight Capacity: The new lines will facilitate an additional 35.72 million tonnes of annual freight traffic, specifically targeting essential goods like coal, foodgrains, fertilizers, and steel.
- Logistics Savings: The project is anticipated to yield annual logistics cost savings of ₹2,877.46 crore.
- Carbon Reduction: In a significant environmental win, the project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 128.77 crore kilograms annually, an offset equivalent to the impact of planting 5.15 crore trees.
Strengthening the High-Density Network
Spanning across multiple districts—including Ghaziabad, Hapur, Amroha, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Sitapur—this project serves as a vital element of the Delhi-Guwahati High Density Network (HDN-4). By following the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the expansion aims to modernize the corridor and provide a much-needed boost to the nation's logistics and transit efficiency.