INDIA’s South Eastern Railway has started construction of an 87 km single-track electrified branch to serve the seaside resort of Digha in southern Bengal. Proposed in 1984, the line was delayed by land acquisition problems. The first girders for a 500m bridge over the river Haldi were launched in August, by which time 23 km of formation had been completed.
The broad gauge line will run from Tamluk, on the Kolkata - Kharagpur line, via Nandakumar, Bajkul, Kanthi and Ramnagar; there will be 10 stations. Total cost of the line is put at Rs2·4bn, including electrification. Through trains between Howrah and Digha are expected to start running next year.
