Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off eight new trains from various destinations to Kevadiya and inaugurated the Dabhoi – Chandod Gauge converted broad gauge rail line (18 km), new broad gauge railway line from Chandod to Kevadiya (32 km), Newly electrified Pratapnagar – Kevadiya section (80 km), the new station buildings of Dabhoi Jn., Chandod and Kevadiya through video conferencing.
The 50 km long Dabhoi – Chandod – Kevadiya section has been commissioned by converting the 18 km long Dabhoi – Chandod
Narrow Gauge section to broad gauge and further extension of new broad gauge railway line from Chandod to Kevadiya (32 kms). Pratapnagar – Kevadiya section (80 RKM) has also been electrified as per Ministry of Railways Mission of 100 per cent railway electrification policy. This will now provide seamless rail connectivity from all directions of our country.
A senior Indian Railways official said that the project was sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 811 cr. “Land acquisition for the new line project was completed as late as July 2020 and the project has been commissioned only in five months. It has total of seven stations with three major (crossing) stations and four minor (halt) stations. Out of these four are new stations - Moriya, Tilakwada, Garudeshwar and Kevadiya, and three are existing stations, namely Dabhoi junction, Vadaj and Chandod,” he said.
There are 8 major bridges, 79 minor bridges, 9 Road Over Bridges & 31 Road under-bridges. The sectional speed between Pratapnagar - Dabhoi has been raised from 75 kmph to 110 kmph in a short span of 75 days and Dabhoi – Kevadiya section has been built with 110 kmph. The speed of the entire section from Pratapnagar – Kevadiya will be further enhanced to 130 kmph, he said.
The station buildings at Dabhoi junction Chandod and Kevadiya have been designed aesthetically incorporating local features and modern passenger amenities.
Also, Kevadiya station is India's first railway station with a ‘Green Building Certification’ since inception of construction.
The official said that modern engineering techniques and equipment such as mobile flash butt welding machines, Ready Mix Concrete (RMC), heavy earth moving equipment, heavy duty road cranes and track machines were deployed to quicken the pace of civil engineering work.
“A unique technical solution for design of minor bridges has been adopted by using locally available RCC hume pipes. This has not only reduced execution time but has also garnered a savings of approx 27 cr, he further added.
