Cabinet approves big rail multi-tracking projects in Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra

New Delhi: With the objective of enhancing the transportation backbone of India, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently sanctioned two important multitracking projects along the Indian Railways network, the government announced on Wednesday.

The projects, situated in the Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh states, will support both goods and passenger flows, adding to the government’s larger vision for efficient and sustainable logistics under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

The approved railway infrastructure projects are the Ratlam-Nagda third and fourth lines in Madhya Pradesh and the Wardha-Balharshah fourth line in Maharashtra. The total estimated cost of these projects is about Rs 3,399 crore with the timeline for completion stretching up to 2029-30.

Together, the two multitracking projects will add 176 kilometres to the Indian Railways network through four districts in the two states. The improved routes are key routes for hauling high-volume goods like coal, cement, fly ash, gypsum, petroleum products, farm produce, and containers.

The upgraded infrastructure will be able to handle an extra freight traffic volume of 18.40 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA), as per officials. The expected boost in freight handling capacity is likely to ease current congestion on key routes, reduce railway complexity, and enhance overall reliability and punctuality of services.

The multitracking schemes should have a long-term socio-economic influence. They will improve rail connectivity for around 784 villages with a total population of around 19.74 lakh. It is anticipated that this extension will have a revolutionary influence on regional development by improving easy traveling of people and goods, allowing improved access to markets, and creating new means of livelihood.