Indian Railways Completes Land Acquisition for ₹1,640 Crore Manikpur-Iradatganj Third Line
The Ministry of Railways has completed the land acquisition process for the 84-km Manikpur-Iradatganj third railway line under North Central Railway (NCR), following a final Gazette notification. The acquisition covers 3,66,877 square metres, or around 36.68 hectares, of land in Prayagraj, which has now been transferred to the Central government.
The project has an estimated cost of around ₹1,640 crore and is targeted for completion within four years. The additional line is intended to increase capacity on the route and allow more trains to operate.
The land requirement was revised downward from an initial 50.19 hectares across 25 villages in the Bara and Karchhana sub-districts of Prayagraj, following objections from farmers and landowners and 24 rounds of subsequent measurement and review.
The project scope includes the construction of 30 major railway bridges, 19 underpasses and six road overbridges, and will connect 12 railway stations along the route. The existing double-line section between Iradatganj and Manikpur is currently operating at more than 150 per cent of its capacity, frequently causing trains to be held at outer signals and delaying passenger and freight services.
With land acquisition complete, NCR officials said the project can now move ahead without further land-related delays, and that the additional line is expected to enhance route capacity, reduce congestion and improve punctuality on the Prayagraj-Mumbai corridor. The completed notification also enables compensation payments to affected farmers and landowners.