New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved four multi-tracking railway projects worth approximately ₹9,450 crore across West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
The projects, scheduled for completion by 2030–31, will add around 410 km to the Indian Railways network and cover eight districts.
Four projects to ease congestion. The approved projects are:
- Kharagpur–Bhadrak (Ranital) 4th Line: 173 km
- Bhadrak–Haridaspur 4th Line: 75 km
- Gummidipundi–Gudur 3rd & 4th Lines: 90 km
- Cuttack–Paradeep (Badabandha) 3rd & 4th Lines: 72 km
The additional tracks are expected to improve rail capacity, reduce congestion and enhance operational efficiency and service reliability. The projects are aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, focusing on integrated multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency.
The enhanced network will improve connectivity to around 6,448 villages, benefiting nearly 60 lakh people. It will also strengthen access to several tourist destinations, including Bhitarkanika National Park, Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandipur Beach, Pulicat Lake, Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary and Lalitgiri.
The routes are important for transporting coal, iron ore, cement, steel, containers, automobiles and food grains. The projects are expected to increase freight-handling capacity by around 76 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
According to the government, greater use of rail transport could reduce logistics costs, save around 13 crore litres of oil and cut approximately 65 crore kg of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to the carbon absorption of about 2.60 crore trees.
