Union Cabinet Greenlights ₹12,328 Crore Rail Expansion

The Union Cabinet has approved four major railway infrastructure projects totaling ₹12,328 crore, aimed at enhancing connectivity and significantly boosting freight capacity across several states.

A key highlight is the approval of a new rail line in Kutch, Gujarat, connecting Deshalpar, Hajipir, Luna, Vayor, and Lakhpat. With an investment of ₹2,526 crore, the 145 km route (164 km of track) will be completed in three years. This project will facilitate the efficient transport of bulk commodities such as salt, cement, coal, clinker, and bentonite, while also improving tourism access to destinations like Dholavira, Koteshwar Temple, Narayan Sarovar, and Lakhpat Fort, with 13 new stations planned along the route.

Other approved projects include:

Secunderabad (Sanathnagar)–Wadi multi-tracking (173 km) across Karnataka and Telangana at an outlay of ₹5,012 crore, to be completed in five years

Bhagalpur–Jamalpur 3rd line (53 km) in Bihar, costing ₹1,156 crore, targeted for three-year completion

Doubling of the Furkating–New Tinsukia line (194 km) in Assam, with an investment of ₹3,634 crore over four years

Collectively, these projects will span 565 km across 13 districts, increasing freight handling capacity by 68 million tonnes per annum. All initiatives are aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, aimed at bolstering multi-modal connectivity and logistics efficiency across India.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.