Freight corridor likely

The launch of the ambitious Rs 60,000 crore "dedicated freight corridor project" will be one of the main highlights of the 2006-07 rail budget to be presented by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad.

Rites, a public sector undertaking which was asked to conduct the feasibility study of the project, had submitted a draft proposal to the rail ministry, ministry sources said.

"Rites has given a draft report on the dedicated corridor on which the railway board has given its opinion. It is being sent to the Planning Commission for a final view," they said, adding that once cleared by the commission, work on it will commence.

The much-awaited project was likely to be included in the budget 2006-07, they said.

The proposal for the dedicated freight corridor has already been cleared by the Planning Commission and the infrastructure committee headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

It was also included in the mid-term proposal of the Tenth Five Year Plan following which Rites, under the rail ministry, was asked do a feasibility study.