Indian Railways Approves ₹755 Crore Champa-Korba Third Line Project in Chhattisgarh
Indian Railways has approved the Champa-Korba Third Line Project of South East Central Railway, covering a 42-km stretch in Chhattisgarh, at an estimated cost of ₹755 crore. The project involves construction of a third railway line between Champa and Korba, excluding the already sanctioned Madwarani–Saragbundia section.
The corridor has been identified under Indian Railways' Mission 3000 MT and High-Density Network Corridor initiatives, which aim to strengthen freight movement and support the country's growing energy requirements.
The Champa-Korba section connects coalfields operated by South Eastern Coalfields Limited and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited with the national rail network and the Mumbai–Howrah High Density Corridor. Combined coal production capacity of the two coalfields is about 247 MTPA and is projected to rise to nearly 450 MTPA, adding roughly 200 MTPA of additional coal movement requirements.
The third line is expected to reduce freight train detention, which currently runs at about five minutes in each direction, translating into estimated annual operational savings of ₹1.30 crore. Korba, a major coal transportation hub, hosts a large number of thermal power plants in the region.