The Union Cabinet has approved four railway multi-tracking projects with a total cost of approximately ₹9,450 crore. Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs cleared the railway infrastructure proposals, which will add 410 kilometers of new lines across the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.
The approved infrastructure works include the construction of a 173-kilometer fourth line between Kharagpur in West Bengal and Bhadrak (Ranital) in Odisha, alongside a 75-kilometer fourth line between Bhadrak and Haridaspur in Odisha. Additionally, the projects cover the laying of third and fourth lines between Gummidipundi in Andhra Pradesh and Gudur in Tamil Nadu over 90 kilometers, and a 72-kilometer stretch between Cuttack and Paradeep (Badabandha) in Odisha.
The completion deadline for these projects has been set for 2030-31. According to the Railway Ministry, the network expansion is designed to increase line capacity, alleviate congestion, and improve overall operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways.
Spanning eight districts across the four states, the initiatives are expected to enhance connectivity to approximately 6,448 villages with a collective population of around 6 million people. The Ministry stated that the projects will also improve rail access to several prominent tourist destinations, including the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhitarkanika National Park, Pulicat Lake, Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, and various religious and historical sites such as the Maa Bhadrakali temple and the Buddhist site at Lalitgiri.
From a commercial and freight perspective, the Ministry noted that the designated routes are essential for transporting commodities such as coal, iron ore, cement, iron and steel, containers, automobiles, and food grains. The capacity augmentation works are projected to generate an additional freight traffic volume of 76 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA).
The government anticipates that the expanded rail capacity will support multi-modal connectivity and logistics efficiency through integrated planning. Furthermore, the Ministry highlighted the environmental benefits of shifting transport to railways, estimating reductions in logistics costs, a decrease in oil imports by 13 crore litres, and lower carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to the plantation of 2.60 crore trees.
"Large-scale infrastructure investments of this scale play a vital role in strengthening the country's logistics backbone. By easing freight bottlenecks and expanding freight traffic capacity by 76 MTPA, these railway projects will directly lower supply chain costs and improve distribution efficiencies for core industries like steel, cement, and coal. For businesses operating across eastern and southern corridors, this translates to more reliable transit times and better integration with national supply chains over the coming years." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
