New Delhi
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), led by PM Modi, has approved two railway projects costing ₹6,798 crore on Thursday. These initiatives aim to boost connectivity, reduce logistics costs, and lower CO2 emissions over five years.
The projects include the doubling of the Narkatiaganj-Raxaul-Sitamarhi-Darbhanga and Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur sections, covering 256 km, and a new line between Errupalem and Namburu via Amaravati, spanning 57 km. The doubling project will enhance connectivity to Nepal and the North-east, facilitating passenger and goods train movement, thereby promoting socio-economic growth.
The Errupalem-Amaravati-Namburu line will traverse Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, connecting 168 villages and benefiting around 1.2 million people with nine new stations. The multi-tracking initiative will connect two aspirational districts, Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur, serving about 388 villages and 900,000 people.
These upgrades will increase the existing railway network by 313 km and are expected to handle an additional freight capacity of 31 million tonnes per annum. The environmentally friendly railway system will also help meet climate goals by reducing CO2 emissions by 168 crore kg—equivalent to planting 70 million trees.
These projects are part of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, designed for multi-modal connectivity through integrated planning, aiming to facilitate seamless movement of people and goods across India.
