Cabinet approves 6 rail projects to boost capacity and ease travel
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved six projects of the Ministry of Railways, with a total estimated cost of approximately Rs. 12,343 crore. These projects, funded entirely by the Central Government, aim to enhance rail infrastructure, improve operational efficiency, and reduce congestion on key railway sections across India.
The projects are aligned with Prime Minister Modi’s vision for a New India and will contribute to the region’s self-reliance by creating employment and self-employment opportunities. Spanning 18 districts in Rajasthan, Assam, Telangana, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Nagaland, these projects will expand the Indian Railways network by 1020 kilometers and generate around 3 crore man-days of employment.
They are part of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, promoting integrated planning and seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods, and services. The approved projects include doubling stretches in Ajmer-Chanderiya, Jaipur-Sawai Madhopur, Luni-Samdari-Bhildi, Agthori-Kamakhya with a new Rail cum Road Bridge, Lumding-Furkating, and Motumari-Vishnupuram with Rail over Rail at Motumari.
These routes are crucial for transporting various commodities such as food grains, fertilizers, coal, cement, iron, steel, and more. The capacity enhancements are expected to increase freight traffic by 87 million tonnes per annum, contributing to environmental goals and reducing logistics costs, oil imports, and CO2 emissions
