Prime Minister Narendra Modi approves rail projects for four states |

Prime Minister Narendra Modi approves rail projects for four states |

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved three projects of the Ministry of Railways, with a total estimated cost of Rs 6,456 crore and to be completed by 2028-29. These projects will also generate direct employment for about 114 lakh man days during construction. These three projects cover seven districts in four states - Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh and will expand the existing network of Indian Railways by about 300 km. With these projects - a result of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for Multi-Modal Connectivity - 14 new stations will be constructed, providing better connectivity to two aspirational districts.

"The new line projects will provide connectivity to about 1,300 villages and about 11 lakh population. The multi-tracking project will provide connectivity to about 1,300 villages and about 19 lakh population," the CCEA said in a statement. The approved projects will improve logistics efficiency by connecting unconnected regions, increase existing line capacity and make the transport network more robust, resulting in streamlined supply chains and accelerated economic growth. The new line proposals will provide direct connectivity and improve mobility, leading to enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways.

According to the government, these are essential routes for transport of commodities such as agricultural products, fertilisers, coal, iron ore, steel, cement and limestone, etc. The capacity enhancement works will result in additional freight traffic of 45 MTPA. Earlier this month, the CCEA approved eight railway projects worth about Rs 24,657 crore. The new line projects, to be completed by 2030-2031, will generate direct employment for about three crore man-days during the construction period. These projects cover 14 districts in seven states - Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana and West Bengal. They will add 900 km to the existing network of Indian Railways.