Ahmedabad, March 1 Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the progress of the Western Railway's Ahmedabad-Dholera Semi-High-Speed Rail Connectivity Project in Ahmedabad on Sunday, officials said.
He also reviewed the doubling of the Sarkhej-Dholera section, as well as the 134-km spur line connecting the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) and the Dholera Airport, they added.
The Ahmedabad-Dholera Semi-High-Speed Rail Connectivity Project is being developed as a prototype for semi-high-speed rail systems across the country, which will provide fast and efficient connectivity between Ahmedabad and the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR), an official release said.
It will be the world's first semi-high-speed rail system developed on a 1676 mm broad gauge section between Sarkhej and Dholera, with a maximum potential speed of 220 kilometers per hour, it said.
"It will be the first SHSR with a mixed traffic system, where freight trains operating at 100 kmph and passenger trains at 220 kmph will run on the same track. The project is important in developing Dholera as a major hub for semiconductor industries and solar energy component manufacturing," the release added.
Chief Administrative Officer (Construction) Pradeep Gupta of Western Railway briefed the Railway Minister on the project's progress, it said.
Gujarat is one of the leading states in installed solar energy capacity in the country. With plans to expand solar capacity, the demand for solar components is continuously increasing. This project will provide industries with fast and seamless connectivity to domestic markets.
It will facilitate easy movement of skilled human resources between a major city like Ahmedabad and the emerging satellite city of Dholera, ensuring quick availability of trained manpower for industries, the release said.
"Through the proposed logistics zones and multimodal connectivity, the project will link industries with suppliers and markets. With connectivity to the four-lane access-controlled expressway, Semi High-Speed Rail, and Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, the project will ensure faster access to domestic markets and export gateways such as Jawaharlal Nehru Port," the release noted.