Cabinet Clears Rs 12,328 cr Railway Projects to Boost Connectivity Across Five States

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved four major railway projects worth about Rs 12,328 crore aimed at strengthening passenger and freight connectivity, improving logistics, and supporting sustainable growth.

The projects include:

Deshalpar-Hajipir-Luna and Vayor-Lakhpat New Line (Gujarat)

Secunderabad (Sanathnagar)-Wadi 3rd & 4th Line (Karnataka & Telangana)

Bhagalpur-Jamalpur 3rd Line (Bihar)

Furkating-New Tinsukia Doubling (Assam)

Together, these projects will add nearly 565 km to the railway network, benefiting around 3,974 villages and nearly 63 lakh people across Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, and Assam. The initiatives are expected to generate over 251 lakh man-days of employment during construction.

The Deshalpar-Hajipir-Luna and Vayor-Lakhpat new line (145 route km, 164 track km; cost: Rs 2,526 crore) will improve connectivity in the remote Kutch region. It will promote tourism by linking the Rann of Kutch, Dholavira (a Harappan site), Koteshwar Temple, Narayan Sarovar, and Lakhpat Fort, while also aiding transport of key commodities such as salt, cement, coal, and bentonite. Thirteen new stations will be built, benefitting 866 villages and 16 lakh people.

The Secunderabad-Wadi project (173 km; cost: Rs 5,012 crore; completion in five years) will enhance rail capacity across Karnataka and Telangana, including Aspirational District Kalaburagi. The Bhagalpur-Jamalpur 3rd line (53 km; cost: Rs 1,156 crore; completion in three years) will strengthen connectivity in Bihar, while the Furkating-New Tinsukia doubling (194 km; cost: Rs 3,634 crore; completion in four years) will benefit Assam's transport network.

Once completed, the multi-tracking projects will significantly reduce congestion, improve operational efficiency, and increase line capacity to handle an additional 68 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight. They are expected to cut logistics costs, reduce dependence on oil imports by 56 crore litres, and lower carbon emissions by 360 crore kg-equivalent to planting 14 crore trees.

Aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the projects are designed to enhance multimodal connectivity and optimize supply chains for commodities such as coal, cement, fertilizers, petroleum, agricultural goods, and steel.

The government said the initiatives reflect Prime Minister Modi's vision of making India "Atmanirbhar" by fostering economic growth, job creation, and regional development through modern, sustainable rail infrastructure.