The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved four projects of the Ministry of Railways, with a total investment of ₹18,658 crore.
These four projects, spread across 15 districts in Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh, will expand the Indian Railways network by approximately 1,247 km. The committee is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The projects involve constructing additional railway lines to enhance capacity and improve connectivity along key routes. These include the 3rd and 4th lines between Sambalpur and Jarapda, the 3rd and 4th lines between Jharsuguda and Sason, the 5th and 6th lines on the Kharsia–Naya Raipur–Parmalkasa section, and the doubling of the Gondia–Balharshah route.
“These projects are a result of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, made possible through integrated planning. They will provide seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods, and services,” the government said in a press release.
The projects also include the construction of 19 new stations, enhancing connectivity to two Aspirational Districts—Gadchiroli and Rajnandgaon. The multi-tracking initiative will improve access for around 3,350 villages and benefit nearly 4.72 million people.
The Kharsia–Naya Raipur–Parmalkasa route will provide direct connectivity to new areas like Baloda Bazar, creating opportunities for the establishment of industrial units, including cement plants, in the region.
The government highlighted the importance of these projects for transporting key commodities, stating that they are vital routes for the movement of agricultural products, fertilizers, coal, iron ore, steel, cement, limestone, and more.
These capacity enhancement initiatives are expected to generate an additional 88.77 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum) of freight traffic.
Furthermore, the projects will support climate goals by reducing logistics costs, cutting oil imports by 95 crore litres, and lowering Co2 emissions by 477 crore kg—equivalent to the plantation of 190 million trees.