Cabinet clears 4 railway multitracking projects worth Rs 9,450 crore

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved four projects of the Railway Ministry with a total cost of approximately Rs 9,450 crore. The projects include the construction of a fourth line between Kharagpur in West Bengal and Bhadrak (Ranital) in Odisha, covering 173 km, and a fourth line between Bhadrak and Haridaspur in Odisha, covering 75 km. They also include the laying of the third and fourth lines between Gummidipundi in Andhra Pradesh and Gudur in Tamil Nadu, covering 90 km, and between Cuttack and Paradeep (Badabandha) in Odisha, covering 72 km. These new projects, which will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 410 Kms, will cost about Rs. 9,450 crore with completion deadline up to 2030-31.
These projects are being implemented under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan with a focus on integrated planning and stakeholder consultations to strengthen multimodal connectivity and improve logistics efficiency. The capacity augmentation is expected to ensure smoother movement of passengers, goods and services while reducing congestion and improving the overall efficiency of train operations. The addition of these lines will expand the railway network by about 410 km and improve connectivity to around 6,448 villages with a combined population of nearly 60 lakh.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also approved the upgradation of the 82.578-km Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of NH-22 to four-lane standard in Bihar. The project will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a total capital cost of Rs 3,590.73 crore. The upgraded corridor will connect the India-Nepal border at Sonbarsa with Muzaffarpur, where it links with NH-27, part of the East-West Corridor. The project is expected to ease congestion in densely populated areas along the route, including Muzaffarpur, Muksudpur, Runni Saidpur, Thumma, Dumra, Bhutahi and Sonbarsa. 
The four-lane corridor has been designed for a maximum speed of 100 kmph, with an average speed of 80 kmph. It will have no at-grade median openings to facilitate safer and faster movement of traffic. According to the government, the project will improve the movement of passengers and freight, reduce travel time and enhance road safety, fuel efficiency and vehicle operating costs.