Cabinet Clears Rs 3,399 Crore Rail Projects To Add 176 km Track in Maharashtra, MP Under PM Gati Shakti Plan

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has cleared two major multitracking projects aimed at strengthening the rail network across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

The projects, worth around Rs 3,399 crore, will add 176 km of additional tracks and are scheduled for completion by 2029-30.

The approved corridors include:

• Third and fourth lines between Ratlam and Nagda

• Fourth line between Wardha and Balharshah

These routes serve as critical freight arteries, handling key commodities such as coal, cement, clinker, gypsum, fly ash, petroleum products, and agricultural goods.

The new tracks are expected to facilitate an additional 18.4 million tonnes of freight per annum, significantly improving logistical efficiency across central India.

Covering four districts and benefitting around 784 villages with a combined population of nearly 19.74 lakh, the projects are part of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

The government expects major environmental and economic dividends from the projects: saving 20 crore litres of oil imports, cutting 99 crore kg of CO2 emissions — equivalent to planting 4 crore trees — and creating 74 lakh human-days of employment during construction.

"The increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. These multi-tracking proposals are poised to streamline operations and alleviate congestion," according to an official release.

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