VARANASI, May 6 -- A new freight village is set to be developed on 100 acres of land at the Varanasi-Chandauli border, with plans to integrate it seamlessly with the city's multimodal infrastructure. Divisional commissioner S Rajalingam visited the site on Monday to review the progress of the project, which will be directly connected to the Ralhupur Multimodal Terminal in Varanasi. During his visit, Rajalingam sought updates on the project from officials of the National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). According to reports, NHLML will spearhead the development of a state-of-the-art multi-modal logistics park (MMLP) at the site, which will also be referred to as the freight village. The park will be connected to N 7 by a 650-metre access road and will be located just 1.5 kilometres from the NH7-NH2 junction. Additionally, a 5.1-kilometre railway line will be constructed linking Jeevanathpur Junction to the freight village. This railway connection will integrate the freight village with the New Delhi-Howrah rail freight corridor, creating a vital freight corridor from Northeast India to South India. Furthermore, the park will have direct access to the Ralhupur Multimodal Terminal and will be linked to the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. The freight village is strategically located approximately 30 km from Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, offering substantial logistical advantages. Officials noted that the project will provide an efficient transportation route for cargo, with seamless water transport access to Haldia on National Waterway-1. In a significant move, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on March 11, 2025 between NHLML and IWAI to develop the multi-modal logistics park. The MoU, which was signed in the presence of union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Sarbananda Sonowal, marks a major step forward in strengthening India's logistics sector. The project promises to bring significant investments, create job opportunities, and boost the efficiency of trade across the region....