The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, 5 May, approved three multitracking railway projects covering 19 districts across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Railways, the projects involve a total estimated investment of ₹23,437 crore and are scheduled for completion by 2030-31.
The approved projects include the Nagda-Mathura 3rd and 4th Line, Guntakal-Wadi 3rd and 4th Line, and Burhwal-Sitapur 3rd and 4th Line projects.
The ministry said the projects will increase the existing Indian Railways network by around 901 Km.
According to the official release, the additional line capacity is expected to enhance mobility, improve operational efficiency, strengthen service reliability, streamline railway operations and help reduce congestion on key routes.
The projects have been planned on the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan with a focus on improving multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder consultations.
The Ministry of Railways stated that the projects will provide seamless connectivity for the movement of passengers, goods and services across the affected regions.
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The proposed railway expansion is expected to improve connectivity to around 4,161 villages with a combined population of nearly 83 lakh people.
The government said the projects will also improve rail connectivity to several major tourist and religious destinations, including Mahakaleshwar, Ranthambore National Park, Kuno National Park, Keoladeo National Park, Mathura, Vrindavan, Mantralayam, Sri Nettikanti Anjaneya Swamy Vari Temple at Kasapuram, Shyamnath Temple and Naimisharanya.
According to the statement, the routes are important for transportation of commodities such as coal, foodgrains, cement, petroleum products, iron and steel, iron ore, containers and fertilizers.
The proposed capacity augmentation works are expected to enable additional freight traffic of around 60 million tonnes per annum.
The government stated that the railway projects are expected to help reduce logistics costs, lower oil imports by around 37 crore litres and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 185 crore Kg.
According to the statement, the reduction in emissions would be equivalent to the plantation of around seven crore trees.
