Cabinet Approves Four Railway Multitracking Projects Worth Rs 9,450 Crore
The Union Cabinet has approved four railway multitracking projects across West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh at an estimated cost of Rs 9,450 crore, according to a government statement. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave the green light to the projects, which will add about 410 km to the existing Indian Railways network.
The approved projects include a 173-km fourth line between Kharagpur in West Bengal and Bhadrak (Ranital) in Odisha, a 75-km fourth line between Bhadrak and Haridaspur in Odisha, third and fourth lines between Gummidipundi in Andhra Pradesh and Gudur in Tamil Nadu covering 90 km, and third and fourth lines between Cuttack and Paradeep (Badabandha) in Odisha covering 72 km.
In a post on X, PM Modi said the projects would be a 'major boost to railway infrastructure and connectivity across Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal,' adding important capacity to the Indian Railways network and benefiting lakhs of people. He listed benefits including strengthening passenger and freight movement, reducing congestion, greater logistics efficiency, and better connectivity, commerce and tourism.
The government said the projects are in line with PM Modi's vision of a 'New India' and will enhance employment and self-employment opportunities in the region. The projects have been planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan with a focus on multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency.
The railway projects are expected to improve connectivity to about 6,448 villages with a population of around 60 lakh, according to government estimates.
NH-22 Four-Laning Approved
The Cabinet also approved the four-laning of an 82.578-km section of NH-22 in Bihar at a cost of Rs 3,590.73 crore. The project covers the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section and will connect the India-Nepal border at Sonbarsa with Muzaffarpur on NH-27.
PM Modi said in a post on X that the project will be a 'lifeline' for Bihar, saving travel time and boosting economic activities and tourism. The project is designed for a speed of 100 kmph with an average speed of 80 kmph and will have no at-grade median openings. It includes seven major bridges, including a 340-metre bridge over the Bagmati river, three railway overbridges, and two flyovers of 1,170 metres and 270 metres.
The project is expected to reduce congestion in Muzaffarpur, Muksudpur, Runni Saidpur, Thumma, Dumra, Bhutahi and Sonbarsa.
Regional Reaction
Tirupati MP M. Gurumoorthy welcomed the Union Cabinet's approval for additional railway lines in the Gummidipoondi-Gudur section, hailing it as a catalyst for development in the inter-State region. The section, which falls under the Chennai-Kolkata trunk section, has top attractions such as the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota (SDSC-SHAR), Krishnapatnam port, Sri City industrial zone, Pulicat lake and Nelapattu bird sanctuary.
Gurumoorthy thanked Railway Minister Aswani Vaishnaw for identifying the infrastructure bottleneck in the crucial sector and coming up with a vital solution. The ₹2,229-crore project, projected to be completed in four years, aims to decongest Gudur, a high-density traffic junction that handles trains on the routes to Chennai, Vijayawada and Tirupati. The project involves construction of 21 major bridges, including a mega bridge over the Swarnamukhi river with a running length of 360 metres, 127 smaller bridges, and 34 road over bridges/under bridges.