New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved four multi-tracking railway projects worth Rs 11,169 crore, aimed at expanding infrastructure and enhancing freight movement across key routes in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand.
The approved projects include:
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Itarsi–Nagpur (Fourth Line)
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Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar)–Parbhani (Doubling)
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Aluabari Road–New Jalpaiguri (Third and Fourth Lines)
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Dangoaposi–Jaroli (Third and Fourth Lines)
The combined length of the projects is approximately 574 km and will benefit 13 districts and 2,309 villages, impacting a population of around 43.6 lakh. These routes are strategically important for the movement of coal, cement, clinker, gypsum, containers, petroleum products, and agricultural commodities.
Under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the projects are expected to enhance multimodal logistics, improve operational efficiency, and ease congestion on busy freight corridors. The augmentation will support an additional freight capacity of 95.91 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA), contributing to reduced turnaround times and improved service reliability.
The initiative also aligns with India’s environmental goals. It is projected to reduce fuel consumption by approximately 16 crore litres annually and cut CO₂ emissions by 515 crore kg, equivalent to the impact of planting 20 crore trees.
Planned through integrated inter-ministerial coordination, the projects reflect a long-term strategy to modernise the Indian Railways network, improve logistics competitiveness, and support sustainable economic development.
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