The Howrah-Patna railway line will now see trains running at a speed of 130 km/h. The Indian Railways has completed all necessary arrangements for this increase in speed, which will significantly reduce travel time for passengers. The railway tracks have been upgraded, and the weight of the rails has been increased...
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to support the higher speed. This speed increase will apply to trains traveling between Patna and Howrah. The speed increase is specifically for the Sitamarampur-Jhajha section of the Asansol division of the Eastern Railway. Previously, the speed limit on this section was 110 km/h. The tracks between Sitamarampur-Howrah and Jhajha-Patna have been upgraded to accommodate the higher speed. Railway workers have been working on this section for the past two years to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the speed increase. The Asansol PRO confirmed that the tracks have been upgraded and trains will operate at 130 km/h after approval from senior officials. Senior officials have already conducted multiple trial runs on the section using a special train. On Monday, the Asansol Divisional Manager, Chetananand Singh, inspected the safety of the route with senior officials aboard the 22348 Patna-Vande Bharat Express. The increased speed will reduce travel time to stations like Howrah, Kolkata, Bardhaman, and Asansol. The railway tracks have undergone significant repairs over the past two years. The weight of the rails has been increased from 52 kg per meter to 60 kg per meter. The replacement of rails was completed quickly by railway workers. Additionally, the replacement of girders on all bridges along the route was completed in a timely manner. The railway conducted mega blocks to replace the girders on bridges dating back to the British era. On January 28th and February 11th, the girder of the railway bridge over the Badua River near Simultola station was replaced during a mega block. The Sitamarampur-Jhajha section contains 37 subways, which are being converted to underground passages. On March 3rd, the LHS (Limited Height Subway) gate number 31, kilometer number 326/25-27 between Jasidih-Tulsiatand stations was replaced during a block. On the same day, the LHS gate number 33, kilometer number 336/23-25 between Tulsiatand-Lahaban railway stations was also scheduled for conversion to an underground passage, but this was not possible due to technical issues. This gate was eventually converted on March 17th along with the conversion of the Rajla gate number 37, kilometer number 361/10-12. The Simultola gate is also scheduled for conversion, and the tender for this work has already been finalized.