The Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor moved one step forward with the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC) signing up RITES as the consultant for the project. A consortium of RITES and SMEC International Pty Limited has signed the contract, valued at Rs. 72 crores with HRIDC.
The Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC) connecting Palwal and Sonepat via Sohna, Manesar and Kharkhoda is an electrified Broad Gauge double railway line for passenger and freight traffic. The 122 route km corridor will provide seamless connectivity to Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) at Prithala station and to Indian Railways at Palwal, Patli, Sultanpur, Asaudha and Harsana Kalan stations.
HORC is being funded by Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and is expected to be completed in 5 years. The project will help decongest Delhi by diverting goods and passenger trains not originated/destined for Delhi. It will also be beneficial to industrial and logistic hubs of Kharkhoda, Manesar and Sohna and is likely to help develop additional hubs in the region.
The contract was signed by Mr. Piyush Kansal, Executive Director, Unban Infrastructure, RITES Ltd (on behalf of RITES-SMEC), and Mr. Narinder D Chumber, Director (Project & Planning), HRIDC, in the presence of Mr. Dinesh Chand Deshwal, IRSE, MD, HRIDC, Mr. Rajeev Mehrotra, Chairman & Managing Director, RITES Ltd, Mr. V. G. Suresh Kumar, Director Projects, RITES Ltd, and Mr. Andrew McKune, Executive Director, SMEC.
