Railways Clears Rs 1,000-Crore Coal Rail Network for Buxar Thermal Plant

Indian Railways will develop a dedicated rail network at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore to streamline coal movement to the Chausa Thermal Power Plant in Bihar’s Buxar district, a project that addresses one of the more persistent bottlenecks in thermal coal logistics on the Buxar–DDU corridor. The plan centres on converting the Pavni-Kamarpur halt, currently an Intermediate Block Post between Buxar and Chausa, into a full-fledged six-line crossing station.

For coal logistics planners, the key element is a Rail-over-Rail flyover reserved for coal-laden freight trains. The structure will give loaded rakes an independent path into the Chausa plant instead of threading them through the main line, isolating power-plant coal traffic from the trunk corridor.

Why the flyover matters for freight flow

The Buxar–Deen Dayal Upadhyaya section carries a heavy mix of passenger and freight services, and adding coal rakes to that flow has long meant squeezing freight paths between passenger slots. A separate freight alignment allows the power plant to be supplied without adding pressure on the main corridor, while also improving scheduling flexibility for passenger trains on the section.

The engineering plans have received technical and administrative approval from the Danapur railway division and from SJVN Thermal Private Limited. The entire project cost, including land acquisition, will be borne by SJVN Thermal.

Station to be rebuilt as a six-line junction

The upgraded station will have six railway lines, including the Up and Down main lines, a common loop line, a Down loop line and technical sidings. It will feature three platforms, each between 590 and 600 metres long — a length that allows full coal rakes to be handled within the station layout rather than blocking running lines.

A station building measuring 40 metres by eight metres will be constructed, along with two foot overbridges for passenger movement. The project also proposes extending the Up platform at Chausa railway station by around 300 metres.

Road-rail interface and bridge works

The package includes an underpass near level crossing gate number 74, and an overbridge or underpass at level crossings 76 and 77, reducing conflict between road traffic and increased rail movement. More than a dozen existing bridges will be strengthened and widened to accommodate the additional lines.

Saraswati Chandra, chief public relations officer of East Central Railway, confirmed the development of the Pavni-Kamarpur halt into a full-fledged six-line station for the Chausa power plant.

The project is expected not only to ensure a smoother and more reliable coal supply to the plant but also to improve rail connectivity and encourage industrial activity in the region, said Mitesh Yadav, HR head at SJVN.

FAQs

1. What is the cost of the Buxar coal rail project?
The network is estimated at Rs 1,000 crore, and the full cost, including land acquisition, will be funded by SJVN Thermal Private Limited rather than Indian Railways.

2. Where exactly will the new infrastructure come up?
At Pavni-Kamarpur, between Buxar and Chausa in Bihar’s Buxar district, on the Buxar–DDU rail section. The site is currently an Intermediate Block Post that will become a six-line crossing station.

3. What is a Rail-over-Rail flyover in this context?
It is a dedicated elevated rail alignment for coal-laden freight trains, allowing coal rakes to reach the Chausa Thermal Power Plant without merging into the main corridor’s traffic.

4. Which agency approved the plans?
The engineering plans received technical and administrative approval from the Danapur railway division and SJVN Thermal Private Limited.

5. What else is being built along with the station?
Three platforms of 590–600 metres each, a 40m x 8m station building, two foot overbridges, a roughly 300-metre platform extension at Chausa, an underpass near level crossing 74, an overbridge or underpass at crossings 76 and 77, and strengthening or widening of more than a dozen bridges.