Ballari–Guntakal Rail Stretch Gets ₹1,264 Crore Cabinet Upgrade

The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹1,264 crore project to lay third and fourth railway lines along the 46 km Ballari–Guntakal section, spanning three districts across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Scheduled for completion by 2028–29 under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the expansion aims to eliminate bottlenecks on one of South India's busiest heavy-freight routes.

The project will add 16.22 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in freight capacity to streamline the transport of essential commodities like iron ore, coal, steel, and foodgrains. Beyond freight, the expansion improves transit access for 99 local villages (~7 lakh residents) and tourism hubs like Ballari Fort and Sri Kumara Swamy Temple. Shifting heavy cargo from roads to rail is projected to save 1.32 crore liters of fuel and cut CO₂ emissions by 6.67 crore kg.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.