Mumbai: During a four hours block, the railways on Sunday launched a girder measuring 79.98-m-long and weighing around 555 tonnes at the Kopar railway station.
The heavy-duty infrastructure is one of the crucial links in the 1,506-km-long Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. The project will connect Dadri in Uttar Pradesh (near Delhi) with Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Navi Mumbai. This corridor is partially open and the work on the last leg in Maharashtra is underway. The next girder will be likely launched in the first week of May.
To facilitate the launch, a block was undertaken from 1.30am to 5.30am. Nearly 60 labourers were involved, while necessary equipment was kept ready on the site for minimising hassles.
A senior rail official, who is monitoring the project, said, “Launching work of the first girder is completed, now the process of shifting this girder towards Mumbai end is underway, which will likely be completed in the next block.”
Freight corridor is vital for transportation of essential commodities
The dedicated freight corridor is vital for the transportation of essential commodities, goods, pulses, and other items and products which will ease its availability for people. The girder launch will further augment the smooth flow of essential commodities, agricultural produce and freight moving to and from Mumbai.
Speaking about the project's deadline, the official said, “We are planning to complete it by December 2024. Work is in full swing but we need support from the local administration to clear the encroachment near the Kopar railway station.”
Notably, the Central Railway made sure that the block period is optimally used. Hence, it launched a 53-m-long girder for a road over bridge near Titwala besides completing track maintenance work during the same period.
