Aurangabad, Aug 31: Railway Minister Nitish Kumar today said an ambitious Rs 31,000 crore project has been cleared by his ministry to reduce the possibility of train accidents and employ the latest technology to "strengthen weak rail bridges". Continuous rail circuiting system was being introduced in different zones in a bid to check increasing mishaps, he told reporters here.
Kumar said the latest technology of computerised bridge management system would be used by the railway in the next ten years for strengthening railway bridges. Kumar informed that a super thermal power project of 1000 MW at Nabinagar in the district at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore would be initiated by the railway in collaboration with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in near future.
The railway minister earlier laid the foundation stone for "the longest rail bridge" to be constructed over the River Sone at a cost of Rs 248.64 crore at Dehri-on-Sone. Kumar said the new bridge was the fourth mega-rail bridge project sanctioned by the Centre for the state.
"The four-lane 3.6 km long rail bridge would be the longest bridge in the country and it would be completed by 2007," he said.
The minister later flagged off the inaugural run of 3601 up Gaya-New Delhi Mahabodhi Express at Gaya railway junction. He also inaugurated the coach maintenance pit line at Gaya railway station. Bureau Report