Varanasi will have its second rail-road bridge connecting Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and the holy city, the government announced on Wednesday. Once operational, it will be the biggest in terms of capacity in India.
“We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure comfort and convenience for the people of Kashi. In this regard, a rail-road bridge has been approved over the Ganga. This will not only provide better connectivity to pilgrims, tourists and the people here, but will also create new opportunities for employment and business,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post. He represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha.
Giving information about the Cabinet decision, Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the new bridge will be built at a cost of ₹2,642 crore. “The project is expected to be completed in 4 years,” he said while making it clear the project is likely to be executed by the Railway itself. The new bridge will have 4 tracks for railway and 6 lanes for road traffic.
The new bridge will be parallel to existing Malviya Bridge. It connects the Northern, Eastern, and Western states. The existing Rail-cum-Road Bridge (2-line rail and 2-lane road), is about 137 years old, route between Varanasi and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) is oversaturated (163 per cent), and therefore the route needs replacement of Malviya bridge, a government statement said.
“The proposed multi-tracking project will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-required infrastructural development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways. The project traverses through Varanasi and Chandauli districts in Uttar Pradesh,” the statement said.
The Varanasi-DDU Junction route, vital for both passenger and freight traffic, faces heavy congestion due to its role in transporting goods like coal, cement, and food grains, as well as serving growing tourism and industrial demands. “To address this issue, infrastructure upgrades are needed, including a new rail-cum-road bridge over the Ganga River and the addition of 3rd and 4th railway lines. These enhancements aim to improve capacity, efficiency and support the region’s socio-economic growth,” the statement said.
“Apart from relief in congestion in the stretch, 27.83 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) freight is anticipated on the proposed stretch,” it added expected to save diesel imports of about 8 crore litre per year (about ₹638 crore per year)