The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved two railway multitracking projects with a combined cost of approximately ₹2,781 crore. The projects are aimed at enhancing line capacity, improving operational efficiency and strengthening connectivity across Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The approved works include the doubling of the Devbhumi Dwarka (Okha)–Kanalus section covering 141 km and the construction of the 3rd and 4th lines between Badlapur and Karjat spanning 32 km. Together, the projects will expand the Indian Railways network by about 224 km and are expected to ease congestion, facilitate faster train movements and improve overall service reliability.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the projects are being developed under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to boost multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency through integrated planning. On completion, they will enhance rail access for around 585 villages with a combined population of nearly 32 lakh people.
The doubling project in Devbhumi Dwarka district will improve access to the Dwarkadhish Temple, one of the major pilgrimage destinations in Gujarat, and support the socio-economic development of the wider Saurashtra region. The Badlapur–Karjat section forms a key part of the Mumbai suburban corridor. The addition of two new tracks will help meet rising commuter demand and improve regional connectivity toward southern India.
Indian Railways expects the capacity augmentation to enable an additional 18 million tonnes of freight movement per year. The route is widely used for transporting coal, salt, cement, petroleum products, containers and other key commodities. Officials highlighted that increased rail freight will help reduce overall logistics costs, cut oil imports by an estimated 3 crore litres and lower carbon emissions by nearly 16 crore kilograms, equivalent to planting 64 lakh trees.