INDIA: Indian Railways has approved the ₹976 crore Danapur–Fatuha rail project in Bihar, adding capacity for 22 more passenger and 18 more freight trains per day.

The Danapur–Fatuha rail project will add lines across 29 km, allowing 22 more passenger and 18 more freight trains each day.
The Danapur–Fatuha rail project will add lines across 29 km, allowing 22 more passenger and 18 more freight trains each day.

The Ministry of Railways announcement, published on 1 August 2026, confirms the scope and cost reported by India Today. The official release also provides a section-by-section breakdown of the planned tracks.

New tracks cover three parts of the Patna corridor

The approved work spans 29 km on the East Central Railway network. Third and fourth lines will be built between Danapur and Patna, while a third line will be added between Rajendra Nagar and Patna Saheb. The Patna Saheb–Fatuha section will also receive third and fourth lines.

Indian Railways expects the additional tracks to reduce congestion and delays while improving punctuality across the Patna area. However, the official announcement did not specify a construction start date or a completion deadline.

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Danapur–Fatuha rail project adds capacity for 40 trains

In the first year after the project becomes operational, the expanded corridor is expected to accommodate 22 additional passenger trains and 18 additional freight trains every day. Freight-handling capacity is projected to rise by 5.2 million tonnes annually.

The section forms part of the wider Delhi–Howrah rail axis through Patna, Kiul and Bhagalpur. Indian Railways has included the route in its Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor programme, which targets capacity for bulk freight flows alongside passenger services.

Extra freight paths will support the Chausa power plant

The expanded route is also intended to improve rail access for the upcoming 2,120 MW Chausa thermal power plant in Bihar’s Buxar district. The facility will depend on trains to move bulk inputs, making freight capacity a defined part of the project’s operating case.

The approval fixes the investment and physical scope, but the added services and freight volumes remain future capacity estimates. They apply to the first year of operation rather than current traffic on the corridor.

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