The Union Ministry for Railways proposes to lay Barwadih
(Jharkhand)-Chirimiri (Chhattisgarh) rail line, which is likely to reduce the
distance between Mumbai and Howrah via Jabalpur by about 400 km.
The proposal to connect the two mineral rich pockets by rail has been pending
for more than eight decades.
The new 202-km rail line is likely to connect Howrah (West Bengal) via
Latehar, Dhanbad and Mumbai via Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Itarsi. At present,
both the metros are connected by two different rail routes, one via Nagpur,
Raipur and another via Itarsi, Jabalpur.