India Approves Rs 20,800 Crore Railway Expansion Projects

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved eight railway infrastructure projects totaling approximately Rs 20,800 crore, aimed at expanding network capacity and enhancing connectivity across nine Indian states. The projects, planned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, will add roughly 1,196 kilometers to the Indian Railways network. Three multitracking projects in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh will add about 656 kilometers at a cost of Rs 10,783 crore. These projects are situated on existing high-density railway routes and are expected to generate an additional 27 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of incremental freight traffic. The government stated these initiatives could reduce oil imports by approximately 12 crore liters and cut carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 62 crore kilograms. Separately, five projects in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana will add about 540 kilometers with an investment of roughly Rs 10,021 crore. These projects are intended to ease bottlenecks on key railway corridors, improve the movement of passengers and freight, and support regional economic activity.