ZRUCC Meet: Chakradharpur Train Scheduling and Tatanagar Rail Projects Fast-Tracked

Kolkata: Improving the punctuality and scheduling of train operations across the Chakradharpur Railway Division emerged as a top priority at the 106th Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) meeting of South Eastern Railway at Hotel Taj Bengal. Chaired by MP Bidyut Baran Mahto, the session addressed critical infrastructure bottlenecks, with General Manager Anil Kumar Jain promising visible improvements in the upcoming railway timetable.

During the meeting, railway management dismissed rumours regarding the shifting of train bases, clarifying that no proposal exists to relocate major trains from Tatanagar to Adityapur. All current services will maintain the status quo.

Officials provided key updates on pending infrastructure projects. Tenders for the Barigoda and Govindpur railway overbridges (ROBs) opened on May 12, 2026, and work will commence shortly. Additionally, authorities will complete the Salgajhari underpass by November, while a new dropping line facility will be integrated into the ongoing comprehensive upgradation of Tatanagar Railway Station. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) is also underway for the Makdampur ROB on the Tatanagar–Badampahar section.

Addressing demands for new train services—including extensions for the Anand Vihar–Purulia Express, a regular train to Patna, and a new link to Tirupati and Bengaluru—officials cited severe terminal and maintenance constraints at Tatanagar Junction. However, they revealed an alternative solution: the Railway Board approved the Final Location Survey (FLS) for a new coaching terminal near Haldipokhar on April 15, 2026, which will eventually host these expanded routes.

Mahto also pushed for experimental halts at Ghatsila station for premier trains like the Vande Bharat and Gitanjali Express, which have been forwarded to the Railway Board. He further requested the resumption of discontinued local passenger trains and urged the execution of the long-pending Kandra–Namkum rail line.