Cabinet approves Rs 20,804 crore railway projects across nine states

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved eight railway multitracking projects worth Rs 20,804 crore across nine states. The projects will cover around 1,196 km and are expected to improve rail connectivity, ease congestion on existing routes and facilitate faster movement of passengers and freight. They are targeted for completion by 2029-30. The government said the projects will “enhance connectivity, improve mobility and facilitate faster movement of goods and passengers”. What are the projects? Of the eight projects, five worth Rs 10,021 crore will cover 540 km across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. These include: - Arakkonam–Renigunta: Third and fourth lines, 77 km - Whitefield–Bangarapet: Third and fourth lines, 47 km - Hosur–Omalur: Doubling, 147 km - Salem–Karur–Dindigul: Doubling, 159 km - Secunderabad (Ghatkesar)–Kazipet: Multitracking, 110 km The remaining three projects, worth Rs 10,783 crore, will cover 656 km across West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. These include: - Kharagpur–Jharsuguda (Bagdehi): Fourth line - Katni–Pendra Road: Fourth line - Bilaspur (Uslapur)–Pendra Road: Third line The five projects in the southern and southern-central states will pass through 17 districts and provide connectivity to 2,121 villages, benefiting around 52 lakh people. The three projects in eastern and central India will cover 14 districts and connect 4,790 villages with a population of around 56 lakh. All the projects are expected to add around 74 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of combined freight capacity. The upgraded routes will support the movement of commodities such as coal, cement, iron and steel, containers, automobiles, foodgrains, petroleum products and fertilisers. The government said the projects, to be implemented under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, will also improve connectivity to important tourist and pilgrimage destinations, including Tirupati and several major temples in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The projects are also expected to reduce oil imports by around 20 crore litres and cut carbon dioxide emissions by around 104 crore kg. The government said the emissions reduction would be equivalent to the carbon absorption capacity of around 4.48 crore trees.