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Cabinet approves railway multitracking projects in four States at ₹9,450 crore
On Wednesday, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved four Railway Ministry projects costing Rs 9,450 crore, spanning 410 km across West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw noted these projects cover eight districts and enhance connectivity to approximately 6,448 villages, supporting access to Bhitarkanika National Park and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary.
Construction includes a 173-kilometre fourth line between Kharagpur and Bhadrak, with 75-kilometre and 72-kilometre segments, plus a 90-kilometre line between Gummidipundi and Gudur featuring 41 major and 169 minor bridges.
These new railway lines serve as essential transport routes for coal, iron ore, cement, and steel, while supporting movement of containers, automobiles, and food grains across the four states.
Separately, the Cabinet approved a four-lane upgrade for the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of NH-22 in Bihar, following an earlier authorization of an 89-kilometre elevated road network for Varanasi along the Ganga and Varuna rivers.