With the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approving the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC) at an estimated cost of Rs 5617.69 crore, the Roads and Railways network in the National Capital Region got a major boost on Tuesday.
The HORC, a 121.742 km long new electrified Broad-gauge double line from Palwal to Sonipat, will be completed in five years and will render rail travel facility to 20,000 passengers everyday other than carrying more than 50 million tonnes of freight every year.
The concept of the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor Project was suggested by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to the Prime Minister in November 2018. Various stakeholders of Gurugram also gave a presentation to the Chief Minister subsequently in February 2019. The Haryana Cabinet also approved the scheme in July 2019. On the initiative of the Chief Minister, a joint venture has been formed in Haryana under the name of Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, headed by Rajeev Arora, Additional Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary PW (B&R) Department. Various railway projects are being implemented in Haryana following the Public-Private Partnership, in which private stakeholders will also be able to invest.
Deputy Chief Minister, Dushyant Chautala who also holds the portfolio of Public Works Department has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi for the approval of this project. He said that after the completion of this project, the vehicular congestion in Delhi will decline and the passengers going to Gurugram, Palwal-Faridabad will have direct access to better rail facilities. After the formation of Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway and Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal Eastern Peripheral Way, there is an existing route via road to Gurugram, Palwal-Faridabad and onwards to Agra. Giving detailed information about the project, Chairman of Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited and Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works Department, Arora said that along the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway, a 50-meter strip has been laid towards Delhi and has been approved in Master Plan for NCR area.
He said that there will be 19 new stations on this railway track, including 14 new and five existing stations. Among the new stations are New Pirthala, Silani, Sohna, Dhulawat, Chandla Dungerwas, Manesar, New Patli, Badsa, Deverkhana, Badli, Mandothi, Jasaur Kheri, Kharkhoda Kirdi and Tarakpur. The HORC will have suitable connectivity to existing Palwal Station and proposed Pirthala Yard of Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC).
With the implementation of this project, direct connectivity for districts of Gurugram, Sonipat, Palwal, Nuh and Jhajjar with all districts of Haryana will be attained, thereby, enhancing economic and social activity of the Haryana sub-region of NCR, added Arora.
