The path for doubling the Jamalpur-Munger Ganga Bridge railway line is now completely cleared. In the interim budget presented in Parliament on February 1, an amount of Rs 50 crore has been allocated in the first phase. So that the work of doubling the railway line can be started immediately. With the doubling of the railway line, on the one hand, the 14 km long Jamalpur-Khagaria (Umeshnagar) railway line will be freed from single track, while on the other hand, the number of trains on this section is also expected to increase.
Rs 1600 crore likely to be spent
Doubling of railway line will be done via Jamalpur-Munger Ganga Bridge (in 14 kilometers). Its survey work has been completed. Railway engineers had also prepared the DPR of this railway line and submitted it to the Railway Board. It is estimated that Rs 1600 crore will be spent on this. In the interim budget presented in the Parliament, a provision of funds has been made for doubling the Jamalpur-Munger railway line.
The survey was conducted in December 2023
It is said that due to single rail track between Jamalpur-Munger-Umeshnagar, many problems are arising. Due to single track, passenger trains are stopped. Whereas the number of trains is also not increasing. Whereas even local trains are not increasing. This railway line has become famous for operating goods trains. Whereas through Jamalpur-Munger-Khagaria railway section, the distance to Kosi-Seemanchal, North Bihar, West Bengal and eastern states reduces considerably. When the Railway Ministry needed doubling of this route, its survey work was done. After the survey, a DPR worth Rs 1600 crore was prepared and sent to the Railway Board.
Doubling will benefit both passengers and railways
Munger Ganga Rail Bridge was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the year 2016. The first train was a passenger train. Five to six thousand passengers travel on this railway section every day. From here, trains for Khagaria, Saharsa and Begusarai pass up and down. One express train runs to Jaynagar, apart from this, one weekly train each passes through Agartala and Gandhidham. The number of coaches in passenger trains is less in proportion to the number of passengers. After doubling, on one hand the increase in the number of trains will make it easier for passengers to travel, while on the other hand, Railways will benefit from revenue.
The present bridge was completed in 14 years
It is noteworthy that the present rail-road bridge over Ganga in Munger took about 14 years to complete. The then MP was also on fast regarding this rail road bridge. In the year 2002, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had laid the foundation stone of this bridge. Rail service could be started on this bridge in the year 2016. Now after doubling, more trains will be able to pass through this railway bridge. Both rail and road routes have been prepared on the existing Ganga bridge.