A government press release announcing the projects said the eight projects covering 14 districts in seven states of Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana and West Bengal will expand the existing network of Indian Railways by 900 km. .

Indian Railways: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved eight railway projects worth a total of Rs 24,657 crore, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said on Friday.

The new route proposals will provide direct connectivity and improve mobility, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways, Vaishnav said at a press conference.

A government press release announcing the projects said the eight projects covering 14 districts in seven states of Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana and West Bengal will expand the existing network of Indian Railways by 900 km. .

“With these projects 64 new stations will be constructed, which will provide connectivity to six (6) aspirant districts (East Singhbum, Bhadadri Kothagudem, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Rayagada). 510 villages and a population of around 40 lakh,” the press release said.

“Ajanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will be connected to the Indian railway network to facilitate a large number of tourists,” the release said.

Necessary routes for transportation

According to the government, these are essential routes for transportation of agricultural products, fertilisers, coal, iron ore, steel, cement, bauxite, limestone, aluminum powder, granite, ballast, containers etc.

Highlighting the benefits of cargo operations, the release said, “capacity expansion works will result in additional cargo handling of 143 MTPA (million tonnes per annum).”

“Railways, being an eco-friendly and energy efficient mode of transport, will help achieve climate goals and reduce the country's logistics costs, reduce oil imports (32.20 crore litres) and lower CO2 emissions (0.87 million tonnes) which is equivalent to plantations. 3.5 crore trees,” he added.

List of proposed railway routes

Four of these eight railway lines, Gunupur-Therubali (New Line), Junagadh-Nabarangpur, Badampahar-Kanduzhargarh and Bangriposi-Gorumhisani are in Odisha while one, namely Malkangiri-Pandurangapuram (via Bhadrachalam) spans the three states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh. and Telangana.

The railway route between Buramara and Chakulia covers Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha. The other two new lines are Jalna – Jalgaon and Bikramshila – Katareh in Maharashtra and Bihar respectively.

(with input from agencies)