New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved two railway projects from the Ministry of Railways, with a total estimated cost of approximately Rs 6,798 crore. These projects are expected to be completed in five years.
The two approved projects are the doubling of the Narkatiaganj-Raxaul-Sitamarhi-Darbhanga & Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur section, covering 256 km, and the construction of a new railway line between Errupalem and Namburu via Amaravati, covering 57 km.
The doubling of the Narkatiaganj-Raxaul-Sitamarhi-Darbhanga & Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur section will enhance connectivity to Nepal, North-East India, and border areas, facilitating the movement of both passenger and goods trains, which will contribute to the socio-economic growth of the region. The new rail line project between Errupalem-Amaravati-Namburu will pass through the NTR Vijayawada and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh and the Khammam district of Telangana.
These two projects, spanning eight districts across three states—Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Bihar—will expand the existing railway network by about 313 km. The new line project will provide connectivity to approximately 168 villages and about 12 lakh people through nine new stations. The multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to the two aspirational districts of Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur, serving around 388 villages and a population of about 9 lakh.
These routes are essential for transporting commodities such as agricultural products, fertiliser, coal, iron ore, steel, and cement. The capacity augmentation from these works will result in additional freight traffic of 31 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). The railways, being an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient mode of transportation, will help meet climate goals by lowering CO2 emissions by 168 crore kg, equivalent to the plantation of 7 crore trees. It will also reduce the logistics cost for the country.
The new line proposal will provide direct connectivity to Amaravati, the proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh, improving mobility for industries and the population while enhancing service efficiency and reliability for Indian Railways. The multi-tracking proposal will ease operations, reduce congestion, and offer the necessary infrastructural development on some of the busiest railway sections.
These projects align with the Prime Minister’s vision of a New India, which aims to make the people of these regions self-reliant through comprehensive development that enhances employment and self-employment opportunities. The projects are a result of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, made possible through integrated planning, which will provide seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods, and services.
BI Bureau
