Ahmedabad, September 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A series of railway projects worth more than Rs 1,542 crore, covering safety, signalling, freight capacity, alternative fuel and rail infrastructure, will be inaugurated or launched in Gujarat on Sunday.
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate, lay foundation stones for and flag off the projects at Sabarmati. The programme will include the launch of the country’s first LNG-powered train, the inauguration of a WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed and automatic block signalling, besides the foundation stone for the Kavach automatic train protection system and doubling of the Sabarmati-Sarkhej railway line.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and other public representatives are scheduled to attend the programme.
The LNG initiative involves two 1,400-horsepower Driving Power Cars at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot that have been converted to a diesel-plus-LNG dual-fuel system. Both have completed more than 2,000 km of field trials.
The system allows the engines to operate on either diesel or LNG, with LNG capable of replacing up to around 40 per cent of diesel consumption. Railway trial data indicates annual savings of around Rs 11.9 lakh for one Driving Power Car and about Rs 23.9 lakh for an eight-coach rake. Each car has an LNG tank with a capacity of around 2,200 litres and can cover about 1,600 km on a full LNG fill.
The Railways said the technology is expected to reduce diesel consumption, emissions and fuel-import expenditure while retaining the operational capabilities of conventional diesel engines.
Another major project is the deployment of Kavach over 404 km of railway sections in the Ahmedabad Division at an estimated cost of around Rs 411 crore. This includes 157 km of the Ahmedabad-Palanpur section and 247 km of the Ahmedabad-Samakhiyali section. The system is designed to provide automatic train protection, including preventing overspeeding and reducing the risk of collisions.
Automatic Block Signalling has also been provided over 122.57 km across the Sabarmati-Kalol-Bhandu Motidau and Sabarmati-Sanand-Jakhwada sections at a cost of around Rs 118.83 crore. The system allows trains to operate at shorter intervals while maintaining safe distances, helping increase route capacity and improve operational efficiency.
The Sabarmati Locomotive Shed, developed at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore, will house and maintain 300 WAG-12 high-horsepower electric locomotives. Of these, 154 have already been homed, with the remaining locomotives expected by 2027-28.
The 21-km Sabarmati-Sarkhej railway line doubling project, estimated at Rs 313.27 crore, is targeted for completion by March 2028. It covers Sabarmati, Gandhigram, Vastrapur and Sarkhej stations and includes construction work involving bridges, road underbridges and level crossings.
The doubling is aimed at increasing line capacity, reducing train detention and easing operational bottlenecks, besides strengthening rail connectivity towards the Sarkhej-Dholera corridor.
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