On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet of India sanctioned four railway multi-tracking projects along with one highway project, totaling an investment of Rs 13,041 crore.
The railway initiatives are designed to relieve congestion on the heavily trafficked Howrah-Chennai route. This includes the construction of the 173-km Kharagpur – Bhadrak (Ranital) 4th Line spanning West Bengal and Odisha, the 75-km Bhadrak – Haridaspur 4th Line, the 90-km Gummidipundi-Gudur 3rd and 4th Lines in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and the 72-km Cuttack-Paradeep (Badabandha) 3rd and 4th Lines in Odisha. The total investment for these railway projects is estimated at around Rs 9,450 crore.
Additionally, the Cabinet has approved the construction of a four-lane brownfield corridor connecting Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, and Sonbarsa (NH-22) in Bihar, with an allocation of Rs 3,591 crore. This development is expected to cut the travel time between Muzaffarpur and Sonbarsa from two hours to just one hour.
The Kharagpur-Ranital railway line serves as a crucial link between eastern and southern India, facilitating both passenger and freight transportation. Officials have indicated that even after the third line is operational, the section will still be at capacity, highlighting the need for the fourth line.
This project will enhance connectivity to the steel hubs in Jakhapura, Tatanagar, and Durgapur, ensuring a more efficient transport of raw materials and finished products to Paradip and Dhamra Ports.
Furthermore, the Bhadrak-Haridaspur line is currently operating at 91% capacity and is expected to face further saturation due to increasing demands from ports and steel plants.
The Gummidipundi-Gudur section is part of both the Delhi-Chennai and Howrah-Chennai High Density Network (HDN), falling under the Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) and contributing to the planned East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC). The utilization of this line is projected to reach 131% capacity.
Lastly, the Cuttack-Badabandha corridor is integral to the Jharsuguda-Cuttack-Paradeep Highly Utilised Network (HUN), linking Paradeep Port with vital regions such as major steel clusters, iron ore mines, and coal fields. Current utilization here is at 101% and is anticipated to increase to 177%.
According to railway officials, the multi-tracking initiatives are expected to expand the Indian Railways network by approximately 410 kilometers, leading to an additional freight capacity of 76 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
