Cabinet okays 4 railway projects worth Rs 18,658 crore in 3 states

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said the Cabinet had cleared four railway projects worth Rs 18,658 crore in Maharashtra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, which are expected to augment the railway network in the country by around 1,247 km.

The Cabinet had met on April 2, shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Thailand and Sri Lanka.

“The Railways plans to undertake four multi-tracking projects aimed to ensure seamless and faster transportation of both passengers and goods. These initiatives will improve travel convenience, reduce logistic cost, decrease oil imports and contribute to lower CO2 emissions, supporting sustainable and efficient rail operations,” mentioned an official statement.

The projects would entail construction of 19 new stations, which would help improve the connectivity to approximately 3,350 villages and about 47.25 lakh people.

The four projects under the Ministry of Railways would cover 15 districts across three states and were expected to be completed by 2030-31.

They would generate direct employment of about 379 lakh human-days during construction. The government said the projects aim to streamline supply chains by increasing the line capacity along the key routes for coal, iron ore and other minerals.