Maximum speed of Golden Quadrilateral – Golden Diagonal (GQ-GD) route enhanced

Maximum speed of Golden Quadrilateral – Golden Diagonal (GQ-GD) route enhanced

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Infrastructure

In news 

• Indian Railway has started the New Year by achieving a landmark achievement by drastically enhancing the maximum speed to 130 kmph for 1,280 km length out of 1,612 Km in Golden Quadrilateral – Golden Diagonal (GQ-GD) route.

Key takeaways

• This covers the entire GQ-GD route over South Central Railway, except Vijayawada – Duvvada section, where signalling up-gradation work is in progress.
• The enhanced speed limits could be achieved due to the systematic and planned strengthening of track & its infrastructure by removing bottlenecks in these sections on a fast pace.
• This included heavier rails, laying of 260 meters Long welded rail panels, improvement of curves and gradients among others.
• Already, the maximum speed limits in the High-Density Network (HDN) between Secunderabad – Kazipet (132 Kms distance) had been enhanced to 130 kmph.

Important value additions 

• The Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) is a national highway network connecting most of the major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres of India. 
• It forms a quadrilateral connecting the four major metro cities of India, viz., Delhi (north), Kolkata (east), Mumbai (west) and Chennai (south). 
• It is the largest highway project in India and the fifth longest in the world. 
• It is the first phase of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP), and consists of four- and six-lane express highways, built at a cost of ₹600 billion.
• Planned in: 1999; Launched in: 2001; Completed in: 2012
• The Golden Quadrilateral project is managed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways.