दक्षिणपूर्वरेलवे

SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY

प्रेसविज्ञप्ति

        PRESS RELEASE

EXPANSION OF COACHING TERMINALS BY SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY

BALSIRING IN RANCHI DIVISION

Kolkata, 27th December, 2025

“We’re expanding coaching terminals in key cities to meet rising passenger demand and reduce congestion. This move will upgrade the railway network and significantly improve nationwide connectivity” - Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology

●In view of the rapid sustained growth in demand for travel, the capacity of major cities to originate new trains needs to be doubled from the current level in the next 5 years.

●The current infrastructure serving needs to be augmented so as to meet the requirements of upcoming years.

●The works for doubling the originating capacity by the year 2030 in these cities would include the following actions

○Augmenting the current terminals with additional platforms, stabling lines, pit lines, and adequate shunting facilities

○Identifying and creating new terminals in and around the urban area

○Maintenance facilities, including mega coaching complexes

○Increasing the sectional capacity with traffic facility works, signaling upgradation, and multitracking required for handling increased trains at various points

●While planning for increasing capacity of terminals, stations around terminals will also be considered so that capacity is evenly balanced. For example, for Pune, Hadapsar, Khadki, and Alandi have been considered for increasing capacity, along with increasing platforms and stabling lines at Pune station.

●The above exercise will be done for both suburban as well as non-suburban traffic, keeping in view the distinct requirements of both segments. A comprehensive plan for 48 major cities is under consideration. The plan will include works planned, proposed, or already sanctioned to achieve the goal of doubling train-handling capacity in a time-bound manner.

●While the plan to double the capacity by 2030, it is expected that capacity will be increased progressively over the next five years, ensuring that the benefits of capacity addition are realized immediately.

●This will help in meeting the traffic requirement progressively over the years. The plan will classify actions under three categories, i.e., immediate, short-term, and long-term.

●The proposed plans will be specific, with clear timelines and defined outcomes. While this exercise focuses o­n specific stations, each Zonal Railwayhas been asked to plan to increase train handling capacity across their divisions, ensuring that not o­nly terminal capacity is enhanced but also sectional capacity and operational constraints at stations and yards are effectively addressed.

●For above, the following cities are identified in South Eastern Railway :

○Kolkata, Tatanagar, Ranchi

Balsiring in Ranchi Division:

Hatia coaching yard has operational constraints as well as space crunch to cater to additional maintenance requirements of future train services. Its topology and bell-curve shaped yard layout makes it unsuitable for modifications to meet future expansion requirements. Eight existing washing pits just about meet the current requirements of maintenance of existing Hatia-based trains. To decongest Hatia coaching depot, as well as to develop a state-of-the-art modern coaching depot to base future trains, there is need to develop an alternate terminal. The adjacent station Balsiring, located at 6 km from Hatia, is suitably placed to take up this role.

The station has excellent road connectivity, with Ranchi Ring road passing within 500 m of the station, Balsiring is about 6 km from Hatia, 8 km from Ranchi Airport and 13 km from Ranchi City Center. All South and West bound trains can originate from Balsiring, instead of Hatia or Ranchi, North bound trains can start from Balsiring, take Y-connection of Lodhma-Piska Bye pass, and further o­n to Tori, and move towards North India.

Alternatively, North and East bound trains can start from Balsiring, make a brief stopover at Hatia and Ranchi to entrain/detrain passengers within 10 minutes stoppage each, and continue their o­nward journey via Tatisilwai-Barkakana or via Muri-Barkakana, or via Muri-Bokaro or Muri-Chandil, as required to cater to various routes, directions, geographies and passenger segments.

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