Kashi wrote:
Curiously, the IR alignment in this sector is a single non-electrified line. I was under the impression that the Western DFC would run parallel to the Delhi-Mumbai line.
Are there any plans to double the existing IR line in the Iqbalgarh-Rewari section?
In some places (~2:15) one can see what appear to be level crossings. Wouldn't it be better to not have any level crossings on the DFC at all?
You have asked several questions.
1. Regarding Iqbalgarh-Rewari doubling and electrification: Here is the situation. The "trunk route" is Delhi--> Rewari---> Alwar----> Jaipur------> Phulera Jn----> Ajmer-----> Marwar------> Abu rd----> Iqbalgarh---> Palanpur---> Mahesana-----> Ahmedabad. The Ahmedabad Swarn Jayanti runs on this route.
The DFCC route is (connects with eastern DFCC here) Dadri---> Rewari(cuts the above mentioned trunk route here) goes and rejoins the trunk route above at Phulera and then keeps the alignment for the trunk route from Phulera to Ahmedabad.
What you saw in the drone is part of the branch line Rewari to Phulera which is single lined and non-electrified and a separate route distinct from the trunk route mentioned above between Delhi and Ahmedabad. So your question should be :
Is Trunk Route 1. doubled and electrified?
Answer NO. The route is certainly doubled till Ajmer. From Ajmer to Palanpur, doubling has been going on since 2009. But it received a big shot in the arm in the 2015 budget and so work is going on for doubling between Ajmer and Palanpur with some renewed vigour and there are reports that some small sections are open between Ajmer and Palanpur and the video bears this out. Electrification is some ways off. There is also Meter Gauge between Palanpur-Mahesana-Ahmedabad that runs alongside the current broad gauge alignment so doubling on this part
will mean ripping up the meter gauge tracks and putting in a second BG line. The meter gauge section still has semaphore signals. Here is a video, you can see doubling work beyond Abu Rd, freshly laid tracks. Watch at 9:50 for start of doubling works. It seems doubling is done between Ajmer and Abu Rd. to Banas as seen in this video. Unfortunately these video fellows miss the forest for the trees and did not pan left, he would have caught DFCC work too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vjM7knUCWg
And when the video chappie does pan left when it strikes him he must, he is way beyond Iqbalgarh, what a pity!!
2. As I said before DFCC stations are 30-40km apart. DFCC stations do not exactly correspond to IR stations. The drone video is between two
consecutive DFCC stations that are about 35km apart, New Bhagega and New Sri Madhopur. In the meantime the drone passed through 3 IR stations, you can make them out. DFCC stations have to have extra long loop lines that can accommodate 1500m rakesabout a mile long rakes. Junctions with IR are far apart. DFCC tracks do not go into the main stations
of a major junction, they avoid them like the plague. They go off into the boonies near a large town and come back and re-join the alignment. At the few IR/DFCC junctions yes they connect. DFCC avoids Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Ajmer, Marwar etc. Just stays on the outskirts.
3. Land acquisition is a major problem near big cities like Jaipur or major railways routes, here there is
less of a problem so that is perhaps one reason of avoiding any major trunk route alignment, unless forced to like on the heavily built up Eastern corridor . Also at Mahesana, a line connects to the DFCC from Mundhra and Kandla ports. So DFCC serves not just JNPT but other ports. The Japanese are very picky about displacing people and compensation. Western DFCC is entirely JICA funded so the Japanese have a huge say in this project.
4. The problem will come with HSR. The alignment now has 4 sets of tracks(possibly 5) between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. 2 for DFCC, 2 for IR and a possible third line and now 2 more for HSR. Plus environmental clearance, DFCC had to jump through hoops to get environmental clearance at Dahanu rd due to mangroves
between Surat and Mumbai. Ditto for HSR etc. The devil is always in the details no?