Cabinet Approves Eight Railway Projects Worth ₹20,804 Crore Across Nine States

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved eight railway projects worth ₹20,804 crore across nine states.

The projects will add 1,196 km to the Indian Railways network and are expected to improve passenger connectivity, expand freight capacity and strengthen access to industrial and tourist centres.

The government has planned them under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, focusing on multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency.

Five Projects Across Southern States

Five of the approved projects cover Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. These include the construction of third and fourth lines along the 77-km Arakkonam-Renigunta and 47-km Whitefield-Bangarapet sections.

The government also approved the doubling of the 147-km Hosur-Omalur and 159-km Salem-Karur-Dindigul sections, along with multi-tracking of the 110-km Secunderabad (Ghatkesar)-Kazipet corridor.

According to the government, these five projects will improve the movement of passengers, goods and services across 17 districts. They are expected to enhance connectivity for approximately 2,121 villages with a combined population of around 52 lakh.

The additional lines will serve routes used to transport coal, cement, iron and steel, automobiles, containers, foodgrains, petroleum products and fertilisers.

“These projects are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as coal, cement, iron and steel, containers, automobiles, food grains, petroleum products, fertilisers, etc.,” the Ministry of Railways said in an official statement.

The capacity expansion across the five projects is expected to generate additional freight traffic of 47 million tonnes per annum.

Connectivity To Tourist Destinations

The southern projects are also expected to improve railway access to several tourist and pilgrimage destinations. These include Tirupati, Subramaniya Swamy Temple at Tiruttani, Sri Padmavati Ammavaari Temple at Tiruchanur, Kotilingeshwara Temple, Bangaru Tirupati, Kolar Gold Fields, Hogenakkal Falls, Hosur Fort and Mettur Dam.

Other destinations likely to benefit include Kodaikanal Hills, Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary, Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple, Namakkal Fort, Kalyana Pasupatheswar Temple, Yadagirigutta Temple, Bhongir Fort, Surendrapuri and Swarnagiri Temple.

Three Projects In Eastern And Central India

The CCEA also cleared three multi-tracking projects across West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The projects comprise a fourth line between Kharagpur and Jharsuguda’s Bagdehi section, another fourth line between Katni and Pendra Road, and a third line connecting Bilaspur’s Uslapur section with Pendra Road.

The government said the three projects would improve rail access for nearly 4,790 villages with a combined population of approximately 56 lakh.

These corridors carry commodities such as coal, cement, iron and steel. Their expansion is projected to generate an additional freight capacity of 27 million tonnes per annum.

Access to Reserves, Temples and Heritage Sites

The projects in eastern and central India will strengthen connectivity to the Taratarini Temple, Shri Khetra Jagannath Temple near Jharsuguda, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Virateshwar Temple and Amarkantak Temple.

They will also improve access to Jwaleshwar Dham, Achanakmar Tiger Reserve, Khutaghat Dam, the Malhar archaeological site and Ratanpur Mahamaya Temple.