The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved four multitracking projects of the Ministry of Railways with a total estimated cost of Rs 9,450 crore.
The projects span 410 km across eight districts in West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and are aimed at enhancing rail capacity, easing congestion and improving operational efficiency and service reliability.
The approved projects include the Kharagpur-Bhadrak (Ranital) fourth line covering 173 km across West Bengal and Odisha, the Bhadrak-Haridaspur fourth line of 75 km in Odisha, the Gummidipundi-Gudur third and fourth lines spanning 90 km across Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and the Cuttack-Paradeep (Badabandha) third and fourth lines of 72 km in Odisha.
These projects are being implemented under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan with a focus on integrated planning and stakeholder consultations to strengthen multimodal connectivity and improve logistics efficiency.
The capacity augmentation is expected to ensure smoother movement of passengers, goods and services while reducing congestion and improving the overall efficiency of train operations. The addition of these lines will expand the railway network by about 410 km and improve connectivity to around 6,448 villages with a combined population of nearly 60 lakh.
The enhanced rail infrastructure is also expected to strengthen connectivity to several tourist and religious destinations, including Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhitarkanika National Park, Maa Bhadrakali Temple, Maa Dhamarai Temple, Panchalingeswar Temple, Talsari-Udaypur and Chandipur beaches, Pulicat Lake, Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, Lord Veeraraghava Perumal Temple, Gada Kujanga Jagannath Temple, Sarala Temple, Dhabaleswar Temple and Lalitgiri, a prominent Buddhist site.
The routes play a key role in transporting essential commodities such as coal, iron ore, cement, iron and steel, containers, automobiles and foodgrains, supporting industrial and economic activity across the regions.
The government has stated that the projects are expected to generate additional freight traffic of around 76 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). By strengthening rail-based transport, which is more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, the projects are also expected to reduce logistics costs and contribute to India’s climate goals.
The initiatives are projected to save approximately 13 crore litres of oil imports and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 65 crore kg, an environmental benefit comparable to planting about 2.60 crore trees.
The government further said that these projects will support comprehensive regional development and create opportunities for employment and self-employment, aligning with the vision of an ‘Atmanirbhar’ India.
