Cabinet approves 4 railway multi-tracking projects worth ₹11,169 crore
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New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved four key railway multi-tracking projects with a total investment of ₹11,169 crore, as per an official cabinet communiqué released on Thursday.
The approved projects include the Itarsi–Nagpur Fourth Line, Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar)–Parbhani Doubling, Aluabari Road–New Jalpaiguri Third and Fourth Line, and the Dangoaposi–Jaroli Third and Fourth Line.
Together, these projects will expand the Indian Railways network by 574 kilometres, spanning 13 districts across six states: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand.
According to the statement, the enhanced line capacity will significantly improve mobility, operational efficiency, and service reliability for Indian Railways. The multi-tracking works will enhance rail connectivity to approximately 2,309 villages, impacting an estimated population of 43.6 lakh people.
These routes are critical for the movement of key commodities, including coal, cement, clinker, gypsum, fly ash, containers, agricultural produce, and petroleum products. The projects are expected to support an increase in freight traffic by 95.91 million tonnes per annum.
“These multi-tracking proposals aim to streamline railway operations and reduce congestion. They align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a New India and are expected to make the people of these regions ‘Atmanirbhar’ by driving comprehensive regional development and increasing both employment and self-employment opportunities,” the communiqué stated.
The four projects are aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which emphasises multi-modal connectivity and logistical efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder collaboration.
Moreover, the Railways, as an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient transport system, will contribute significantly towards India’s climate goals. The capacity enhancement is projected to save 16 crore litres of oil and reduce CO₂ emissions by 515 crore kilograms, equivalent to planting 20 crore trees, thus helping minimise the country’s logistics costs and import dependency.
With IANS inputs
