Cabinet approves two multitracking projects for Indian Railways

New Delhi: The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved two multitracking railway projects at a cost of ₹6,405 crore to improve connectivity and mobility, and generate jobs in Jharkhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. 

Additionally, the project will reduce logistic cost, decrease oil imports and contribute to lower CO2 emissions.

"The increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. These multi-tracking proposals are poised to streamline operations and alleviate congestion," said railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a press briefing.

The projects are essential for transportation of coal, iron ore, finished steel, cement, fertilizers, agriculture commodities, and petroleum products etc. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude of 49 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).

The project will cover seven districts in Jharkhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh increasing the existing network by about 318 km. The Koderma–Barkakana doubling project, having a total length of 133 km will pass through a major coal producing area of Jharkhand while the Ballari–Chikjajur doubling project (185 km) will traverse through Ballari and Chitradurga districts of Karnataka and Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. 

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The two projects are likely to be completed in three years.

"Since it's a multitracking project (doubling of track) so majority of the land parcels are with railways except a few patches, which is not an issue. We expect to complete the two projects in three years' time," said Vaishnaw.

The approved multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to 1,408 villages, which have a total population of about 2.8 million. Also, the projects will generate direct employment for about 10.8 million human-days during construction.

Beyond economic and logistical gains, the ministry of railways noted the projects will have a positive environmental impact. By shifting freight to rail, the initiative is projected to reduce oil imports by 520 million litres and cut CO2 emissions by 2.6 billion kg, which is equivalent to planting 110 million trees.

According to Vaishnaw, the projects are the result of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity and are designed to promote integrated transport planning across regions.

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The Union government appears to be placing a strong emphasis on expanding railway infrastructure in its third term.

In cabinet meetings held so far during the NDA's third term, the union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved 27 railway projects worth ₹96,311 crore.

According to Vaishnaw, the projects sanctioned by the cabinet will usher in significant developments across the country.

Prominent railway projects approved by the cabinet at various Union Cabinet meetings include a new rail-road bridge in Kashi at an estimated cost of ₹2,642 crore, the Errupalem-Amaravati-Namburu new line in Andhra Pradesh at an estimated cost of ₹2,245 crore, the Manmad-Jalgaon fourth rail line worth ₹2,773 crore, and Kharsia-Naya Raipur-Parmalkasa fifth and sixth line in areas of Chhatisgarh, estimated at ₹1,332 crore.

The strengthening of railways network would not only reduce the logistics cost but also bolster India's export competitiveness.

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