Railway plans to build Lines 5 and 6 on high-density corridors to increase capacity

This is significant considering that the 11,051 km long HDN forms the railway backbone, accounting for 16% of the entire network but handling 41% of the total railway traffic. About 8,400 kilometers of these, more than 60% of HDN networks operate at speeds 100-150% higher than line capacity.The seven HDN corridors are: Delhi-Howrah (1,422 km), Howrah-Mumbai (2,039 km), Delhi-Mumbai (1,321 km), Delhi-Guwahati (1,875 km), Delhi-Chennai (2,041 km), Howrah-Chennai (1,117 km) and Mumbai-Chennai (1,238 km).According to the Times of India, the Railway Board recently held a meeting of senior officials from various regions to finalize the plans for the double-tracking, multi-tracking, and Line 5 and Line 6 requirements for HDN lines. Regions have been asked to prepare proposals for their respective sections based on line capacity, traffic needs and future planning.Replying to a question on the proposed expansion plan, a senior railway official said, “Based on traffic forecasts, lines 5 and 6 may be needed in parts of the HDN corridor. The railways is studying this. This will be based on traffic studies but it is not yet done.”Regarding the criteria for finalizing the plans, the official said the decision to lay Lines 5 and 6 will take into account traffic forecasts, connected economic models and unconnected areas.