In a bid to provide seamless connectivity while facilitating ease of travelling in new areas, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved eight railways projects worth about Rs 24,657 crore.
The new line projects, to be completed by 2030-2031, will generate direct employment for about three crore man-days during the construction period.
The projects cover 14 districts in seven states - Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, and West Bengal. These will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by 900 km.
According to the Ministry, 64 new stations will be constructed, providing enhancing connectivity to six Aspirational Districts — East Singhbum, Bhadadri Kothagudem, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Rayagada, nearly 510 villages and about 40 lakh population.
"Ajanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site, will be connected to the Indian Railway Network facilitating a large number of tourists," said the ministry.
Also, the capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of 143 MTPA (million tonnes per annum). These projects will also minimise logistics costs, reduce oil import (crore litres) and lower CO2 emissions (0.87 million tonnes) — equivalent to the plantation of 3.5 crore trees. The projects are a result of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity. The Indian Railways has achieved a "remarkable expansion" of 31,180 km from 2014 to 2024, with an average commissioning rate of 8.54 km per day for new lines, gauge conversions, and doubling sections.