THE Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by India’s prime minister Mr Narendra Modi, has approved eight new rail projects that will add 900km and 64 new stations to the Indian Railways (IR) network.
At a cost of Rs 246bn ($US 2.99bn), new lines will be built to serve 14 districts in the states of Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana and West Bengal.
They are due to for completion between 2026 and 2030, according to railways minister, Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw, creating a new corridor from Asansol in West Bengal to Warangal in Telangana.
The projects form part of a national masterplan that aims to improve the movement of passengers and freight by reaching areas still unserved by the national rail network, streamlining supply chains and accelerating economic growth.
The Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, a Unesco World Heritage Site, will be served by rail for the first time.
The eight proposed new lines are:
- Gunupur - Therubali (73.6km)
- Junagadh - Nabarangpur (116.2km)
- Badampahar - Kendujhargarh (82.1km)
- Bangriposi - Gorumahisani (85.6km)
- Malkangiri - Pandurangpur (173.6km)
- Buramara - Chakulia (60km)
- Jalna -Jalgaon (174km), and
- Vikramshila - Katareah (26.2km).
Freight traffic on the new lines is expected to include agricultural produce, fertiliser, coal, iron ore, steel, cement, bauxite, limestone, granite and containers.
The additional capacity provided will increase freight traffic by 143 million tonnes and lower CO2 emissions by 870,000 tonnes a year, according to Vaishnaw, while reducing India’s oil imports by 320 million litres annually.
In June, the Indian government confirmed an election campaign pledge to invest Rs 10-12 trillion in the country's railway network over the next five years.
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