CRly to run 64 more trains @130kmph

Nagpur: Five months after Nagpur division of Central Railway increased the speed of 14 Rajdhanis and Durontos to 130kmph between Itarsi and Ballarshah, the division has upgraded the speed of 32 more pairs (64) of mail/express trains.
A coaching notification in this regard was issued by the Central Railway zonal headquarters on Tuesday. These 64 trains will run at the speed of 130kmph in the above section. Now trains between Ballarshah-Delhi can run at 130kmph.
The trains include 33 weekly, 14 daily, 12 bi-weekly, two tri-weekly, and some five days a week. Express trains like Telangana, Dakshin, Raptisagar, Sampark Kranti, Humsafar, AP, GT, and TN will run up to the speed of 130kmph.
On January 19, 2021, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Mumbai, approved the raising of maximum speed on the 509km Itarsi-Nagpur-Ballarshah route to 130 kmph. This was the final section on the Delhi-Chennai Golden Diagonal awaiting the speed upgrade.
A formal notification had been issued on April 6, 2022, upgrading the speed of 14 Rajdhani and Duronto trains having LHB coaches. Till now these trains used to run at the speed of 110-120kmph.
On the outcome of the speed upgradation of 14 trains, railway officials said, “We could save 15 minutes between Itarsi-Ballarshah section where the 130 kmph speed is in force. However, the change has not been reflected in the railway timetable. The same will be done when a new timetable is released in October.”
They added, “The time saved has improved our punctuality and we have that additional time with us to overcome constraints.”
Railway project analyst Alok Patel says, “It is high time the Central Railway increases the speed of trains between Nagpur-Badnera section. Although trials were done, the Wardha-Badnera section is not yet fit to operate trains at the speed of 130kmph.”
The South East Central Railway (SECR) tracks between Nagpur-Bilaspur (410km) have also been upgraded to run trains at the speed of 130 kmph.