Coal India today said the critical Jharsuguda-Barpali railway link project in Odisha to facilitate faster transportation of coal is likely to be completed by 2017.
However, coal connectivity line in Tori-Shivpur-Kathautia Area in North Karanpura, Jharkhand will take time, Coal India Director Technical N Kumar told reporters here.
"The soonest which we can expect is Odisha one (Jharsuguda-Barpali railway line in IB Valley, Odisha). In 2017 we expect the line to be completed," he said, adding that "I think Tori-Shivpur (rail line) will definitely take time due to problems like land acquisition in Jharkhand."
He further said that the country's coal import till January in 2014-15 was 172 million tonnes.
Coal Secretary Anil Swarup had earlier said that the 53-km-long Jharsuguda-Barpali railway link was significant as it would connect most of the coal mines in Odisha.
The Jharsuguda-Barpali Rail link project is a part of the three inter-state rail corridor projects proposed by CIL, which are dedicated to coal evacuation in areas of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
The Rs 4.7 billion Jharsuguda-Barpali railway link project was announced in January 2006 by the CIL to link its Ib Valley coal fields in Odisha.
The government had earlier said it will expedite the construction of three critical rail, including Bhupdeopur-Raigarh-Mand Area in Chhattisgarh-- to facilitate faster transportation of coal to power plants, thereby helping in bringing nearly 100 million tonnes of incremental traffic to Railways.
