Cabinet Approves Four Railway Multitracking Projects Worth Rs 9,450 Crore

New Delhi, Aug 19 (KNN) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved four railway multitracking projects worth around Rs 9,450 crore, adding nearly 410 km to the Indian Railways network across West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

The projects include the 173-km Kharagpur-Bhadrak fourth line, 75-km Bhadrak-Haridaspur fourth line, 90-km Gummidipundi-Gudur third and fourth lines, and 72-km Cuttack-Paradeep third and fourth lines.

The projects will cover eight districts and improve rail capacity, reduce congestion and enhance operational efficiency and service reliability. They are targeted for completion by 2030-31 and are being planned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

The expanded network will improve connectivity to around 6,448 villages with a population of nearly 60 lakh, while also strengthening access to major tourist destinations including Bhitarkanika National Park, Chandipur Beach, Pulicat Lake and Lalitgiri.

The projects are expected to support the movement of key commodities including coal, iron ore, cement, steel, containers, automobiles and foodgrains, generating additional freight capacity of around 76 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).

The Railways estimates the projects will help reduce logistics costs, cut oil imports by around 13 crore litres and lower CO₂ emissions by approximately 65 crore kg, equivalent to the carbon absorption of about 2.60 crore trees.

(KNN Bureau)