The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given the green light to eight new railway projects under the Ministry of Railways, with a cumulative estimated cost of Rs 24,657 crore.
These new railway lines aim to enhance direct connectivity and improve the mobility of the Indian Railways network, ensuring greater efficiency and reliability in service. The projects align with the Prime Minister’s vision of a “New India,” fostering self-reliance (“Atmanirbhar”) by driving comprehensive regional development. This development will generate substantial employment and self-employment opportunities within the impacted regions.
These initiatives are part of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, which emphasises integrated planning to ensure seamless movement of people, goods, and services across the nation.
The eight projects span 14 districts in seven states—Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, and West Bengal—and will extend the Indian Railways network by an additional 900 Km. The construction of 64 new stations will enhance connectivity to six aspirational districts—East Singhbhum, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, and Rayagada—benefiting approximately 510 villages and a population of around 4 million.
Notably, the Ajanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site, will be connected to the Indian Railway network, facilitating increased tourist inflow to this historic location.
These new routes are vital for the transportation of key commodities, including agricultural products, fertilizers, coal, iron ore, steel, cement, bauxite, limestone, aluminium powder, granite, ballast, and containers. The capacity enhancements are expected to generate an additional 143 million tonnes of freight traffic annually. As an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient mode of transportation, Indian Railways will play a crucial role in achieving climate goals and reducing the country’s logistics costs. This will also help curb oil imports by 322 million litres and lower CO2 emissions by 870,000 tonnes, which is equivalent to planting 35 million trees.
Cover Photo: Open AI
