Eastern Railway has taken a major step forward in facilitating coal movement for the upcoming expansion of the Sagardighi Thermal Power Station (SgTPS) by The West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL). The zonal railway has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for the construction of a vital bypass rail link between the Nalhati–Pakur and Nalhati–Azimganj sections to streamline coal rake movement from the developing coal blocks in the Pakur area to the SgTPS site.
The SgTPS, currently operating with 600 MW capacity (2 x 300 MW units), is set for a significant capacity augmentation with the addition of two new 660 MW units, pushing its total generation capacity to 1920 MW in Phase-I. To support the increased coal demand, coal linkage of 2.0 MTPA from Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) has been sanctioned by the ministry of coal for the existing units. While existing coal traffic routes the rakes via Andal, Sainthia and Nalhati to Sagardighi, the proposed bypass line becomes essential for seamless movement from new coal mines in the Pakur region, bypassing congested segments and operational bottlenecks at Nalhati station.
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The preliminary engineering survey was conducted confirming the feasibility of a bypass alignment. The new line is proposed to originate 2.681 km from existing Nalhati station (Chatra end) and connect to the proposed Takipur station, avoiding densely populated areas and the need for reversals at Manigram station.
According to the ER, the bypass line will ensure direct connectivity, reduce travel time, and improve operational efficiency for coal rake movement to SgTPS, marking a pivotal development in strengthening the logistics network for power generation in West Bengal.