New Delhi, July 26 (IANS): The meeting of the Centre's Network Planning Group (NPG) has evaluated the railway line expansion project of the Kharsia-Parmalkasa section of the Mumbai-Howrah trunk route in Chhattisgarh for its alignment with the principles of integrated planning outlined in the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, an official said on Friday.

The section will see a significant upgrade with a new 277.917 km double line. This project will expand capacity from Kharsia Junction (Bilaspur-Jharsuguda section) to Parmalkasa (Durg-Nagpur section), with a connection to Naya Raipur at 186.65 km from Kharsia, improving transportation and operational efficiency, the statement said.

The primary goal is to alleviate severe congestion on current lines, where existing capacity utilisation is more than 100 per cent.

The new line is crucial for easing these capacity constraints and supporting future traffic growth, especially with expected increases in coal, iron, food grain, fertilisers, and cement traffic from nearby areas.

The project will support 8 passenger trains and 19-27 freight trains, highlighting its strategic importance for the region's transportation network, it added.

The meeting was convened here under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Rajeev Singh Thakur.