Cabinet Approves 10,021 Crore Railway Projects Across 4 States

The Cabinet has approved four railway multitracking projects worth ₹9,450 crore across West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Covering 410 km, the projects aim to ease congestion, boost freight capacity and improve connectivity.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved four railway multitracking projects with a combined estimated cost of ₹9,450 crore across West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The projects will add around 410 km to the Indian Railways network and are targeted for completion by 2030-31.

The approved projects cover eight districts and include the 173 km Kharagpur-Bhadrak (Ranital) fourth line, the 75 km Bhadrak-Haridaspur fourth line, the 90 km Gummidipundi-Gudur third and fourth lines, and the 72 km Cuttack-Paradeep (Badabandha) third and fourth lines. The works are planned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to improve integrated infrastructure planning and multimodal connectivity.

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The additional capacity is expected to ease congestion on high-density railway corridors, improve train operations and enhance the reliability of passenger and freight services. The projects are projected to improve connectivity to approximately 6,448 villages, benefiting a population of nearly 60 lakh across the project regions.

The corridors are strategically important for freight movement, particularly for coal, iron ore, cement, iron and steel, containers, automobiles and foodgrains. The capacity enhancement is expected to support an additional 76 million tonnes of freight traffic annually, strengthening rail-based logistics for industrial and agricultural supply chains.

The Kharagpur-Bhadrak section is particularly significant for connecting industrial centres with major ports, while the Cuttack-Paradeep corridor supports access to the port and surrounding industrial areas. The Gummidipundi-Gudur expansion will strengthen connectivity along the southern section of the high-density rail network.

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Beyond capacity expansion, the projects are expected to improve access to several tourism and religious destinations, including Bhitarkanika National Park, Pulicat Lake, Chandipur, Panchalingeswar and Lalitgiri. The government also estimates that the projects will reduce oil consumption and carbon emissions by encouraging greater movement of freight through railways.

The approvals form part of the Centre’s broader effort to expand railway capacity, reduce logistics bottlenecks and strengthen India’s multimodal transport infrastructure.