A 240-KM railway line connecting two major islands, with bridges and stations along the coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is to be launched soon. It will be part of rail route connecting Port Blair with Diglipur on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands — a first in the country that will bring the archipelago on the rail map.
However, Ministry is set to approve the project, which will connect the Union Territory’s capital city in the south with the largest town on the north Andaman island which lacks air or any direct connectivity.
The survey reports say that the cost of the line will be Rs 2,413.68 crore with a negative rate of return on investment of -9.64 per cent. The Railways considers a line to be commercially viable if this figure is at least a positive of 12 per cent. But the ministry is set to approve this project owing to its “uniqueness and strategic importance”, according to documents reviewed by The Indian Express.
