Cabinet clears ₹6,405 cr railway doubling projects in three states

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved two major railway projects with a combined estimated cost of ₹6,405 crore. The projects, spearheaded by the Ministry of Railways, aim to bolster connectivity and improve the freight transportation network across key states.
The projects include:
-Koderma–Barkakana Doubling (133 km): This section traverses the coal-rich region of Jharkhand and serves as the shortest and most efficient rail link between Patna and Ranchi.
"The increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. These multi-tracking proposals are poised to streamline operations and alleviate congestion," the CCEA said in a press release.
Expanding connectivity, employment opportunities
The approval is part of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multimodal connectivity. Through integrated planning, these projects aim to ensure seamless movement of people, goods, and services across regions.
Spanning seven districts in Jharkhand, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, the projects will expand the Indian Railways network by approximately 318 km, benefitting nearly 1,408 villages with a combined population of around 2.81 million.
These routes are vital for transporting key commodities such as coal, iron ore, finished steel, cement, fertilisers, agricultural produce, and petroleum products. The capacity augmentation is projected to handle an additional 49 million tonnes of freight annually.
"The Railways being environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimising logistics cost of the country, reduce oil import (520 million litres) and lower carbon dioxide emissions (2,640 million kg) which is equivalent to plantation of 110 million trees," the press release said.

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