The Railway Ministry has granted approval for the South Haryana Economic Rail Corridor, spanning 129km and connecting Haryana with four ports in Gujarat via Rajasthan. The ministry will now initiate a survey for the semi-high-speed rail corridor, which is expected to take several years before construction commences.
A budget of Rs 3.1 crore has been allocated for the survey. Once completed, trains on this corridor will be able to operate at speeds ranging from 130-160kmph. The project, approved by the Haryana government in 2022, will enable direct connectivity between Haryana and the ports of Kandla, Mundra, Navlakhi, and Jakhau in Gujarat. The Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC), a joint venture between the Indian Railways and the Haryana government, will oversee the execution of the project. Additionally, the corridor will eventually be interconnected with the under-construction Orbital Rail Corridor, linking Bahadurgarh and Sonipat in Haryana. The aim of this rail corridor is to reduce travel time and facilitate smoother connectivity between Delhi-NCR and the industrial hubs in the region.
