Nagpur: After recent talks with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to boost railway infrastructure worth Rs1.36 lakh crore in the state, railway minister Suresh Prabhu will lay foundation for Rs1,908 crore third line project between Rajnandgaon and Nagpur on Saturday.The 235km project has been sanctioned Rs248 crore in the current financial year. The section under Nagpur division of South East Central Railway (SECR) is currently being utilized at 150% of capacity resulting in tremendous congestion and delays in freight and passenger trains movement.According to SECR officials, the third line work has nearly touched Rajnandgaon from Bilaspur end. Prabhu will start work on portion between Rajnandgaon and Nagpur through video link at Raipur station. Highways minister Nitin Gadkari and Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, all MPs and other dignitaries will also be present.With the new project, almost all trunk lines passing through the regions will have third lines. Nagpur-Wardha (78.87km) will have a fourth line too for which Niti Aayog has sanctioned Rs638 crore recently.On Central Railways, entire section from Itarsi to Ballarshah will have third line while Nagpur to Bilaspur on SECR will have third line. "It will give boost to train movement in the region. It means more trains and hassle-free travel," said Agarwal.Nagpur being centrally located is one of the busiest stations across the country as it caters to traffic of two important trunk routes — Chennai-Delhi and Mumbai-Kolkata. Apart from Rajnandgaon-Nagpur third line, Prabhu will inaugurate foot-over bridges (FOBs), escalators and other facilities for passengers at Raipur station.A mammoth function has been organized at SAI Saubhagyam Auditorium where 62nd national railway awards function will be held. Outstanding railway officials from 17 zones will be honoured.

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