New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on 9 April approved two significant infrastructure projects for Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Punjab, totalling over Rs 3,200 crore.
The Cabinet’s decision includes a strategic railway line-doubling project in the southern states and a critical six-lane bypass to ease urban congestion in northern India.
Aiming to strengthen sustainable transport between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the Cabinet approved the doubling of the 104-km Tirupati-Katpadi railway line for Rs 1,332 crore.
The project, which includes 113 km of track length, is expected to significantly enhance connectivity between major pilgrimage, educational and industrial hubs such as Tirupati, Sri Kalahasti and Vellore.
The route features 15 stations, 17 major bridges, 327 minor bridges, seven road overbridges (ROBs) and 30 road underbridges (RUBs).
Notably, it is projected to save about 20 crore kg of CO₂ emissions annually and reduce diesel usage by four crore litres per year. This clean transport initiative is also expected to slash logistics costs by Rs 449 crore each year compared to road transport.
As part of infrastructure development under the ‘Viksit Bharat’ initiative, the Cabinet has approved the construction of a six-lane Zirakpur bypass spanning 19.2 km.
This Rs 1,878 crore project aims to alleviate congestion in the densely urbanized areas of Zirakpur and Panchkula, which currently face bottlenecks due to the overlapping stretches of NH-5 and NH-7.
To be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode, the bypass will be constructed over two years, with a 15-year operation period. It is set to boost connectivity to Himachal Pradesh while easing movement across Haryana and Punjab.
The bypass is expected to significantly enhance travel efficiency in the Chandigarh satellite region, facilitating smoother interstate mobility and regional trade.
