Cabinet Approves ₹11,000 Crore for Four Railway Capacity Expansion Projects

New Delhi, July 31 (Daily Kiran): The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved four major railway capacity expansion projects worth over ₹11,000 crore in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal. These projects are expected to boost freight capacity by approximately 100 million tonnes per annum.

₹11,169 Crore Projects Cleared by Cabinet Committee

Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Railways, and Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced the Cabinet’s decision at a press conference. He stated that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the following projects:

• Fourth line from Itarsi (Madhya Pradesh) to Nagpur (Maharashtra)

• Doubling of the Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar)–Parbhani line in Maharashtra

• Third and fourth lines between Aluabari Road and New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal

• Third and fourth lines between Dangoaposi and Jaroli in the Jharkhand-Odisha border region

Enhanced Line Capacity to Improve Efficiency

Vaishnaw said that the increased line capacity would significantly improve operational efficiency and service reliability of Indian Railways. These multi-tracking projects are designed to streamline operations and reduce congestion. Aligned with Prime Minister Modi’s vision for a “New India”, these initiatives aim to foster regional development, generate employment and self-employment opportunities, and empower local communities.

Part of PM Gati Shakti Master Plan

The projects have been formulated under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which focuses on integrated planning and stakeholder consultation to enhance multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency. The railway projects will ensure seamless connectivity for people, goods, and services.

To Cover 13 Districts Across 6 States

These four projects will expand the Indian Railways network by around 574 km and benefit 13 districts across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand. They are expected to enhance connectivity for about 2,309 villages with a total population of approximately 43.6 lakh.

The new lines will serve as critical routes for transporting coal, cement, clinker, gypsum, fly ash, containers, agricultural produce, and petroleum products.

Significant Environmental and Economic Impact

According to the Railways Minister, these capacity enhancement projects will facilitate the movement of 95.91 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of goods. Being an eco-friendly and energy-efficient mode of transport, Indian Railways’ expansion will contribute to India’s climate goals by reducing logistics costs, curbing oil imports by 160 million litres, and cutting down CO₂ emissions by 5.15 billion kilograms—equivalent to planting 200 million trees.