New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 10 March approved two railway infrastructure projects aimed at expanding track capacity in eastern India, with a combined investment of about Rs 4,474 crore.
The initiatives involve laying additional rail lines along two important routes, Sainthia–Pakur and Santragachi–Kharagpur. Once completed, the projects will add nearly 192 km of rail network spanning districts in West Bengal and Jharkhand.
The Ministry of Railways has proposed that the works be completed by 2030-31.
The expansion is intended to ease pressure on heavily used rail corridors by adding more tracks, allowing smoother movement of both passenger and freight trains. Officials believe the added capacity will reduce delays and improve the reliability of services operating on these routes.
The projects are being implemented as part of the government’s PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which emphasises coordinated infrastructure planning to improve logistics and connectivity across different transport modes.
By strengthening rail infrastructure in the region, authorities expect better integration of transport networks and improved movement of goods and people.
The upgraded rail connectivity is projected to benefit around 5,652 villages with a combined population of roughly 1.47 crore people.
In addition to improving daily travel, the enhanced network is expected to make it easier to reach several tourist destinations, including Bolpur-Shantiniketan, Tarapith, the Nandikeshwari Temple, Patachitra Gram, Dhadika Forest, Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary and Rameshwar Kund.
The government estimates that once the additional tracks are operational, freight handling capacity on the routes could increase by around 31 million tonnes annually. Greater reliance on rail transport is also expected to help lower logistics costs, reduce oil imports by nearly six crore litres and cut carbon emissions by about 28 crore kg.
