Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to the state’s railway infrastructure and connectivity, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Kharagpur-Jharsuguda (Bagdehi) fourth line Wednesday.
Apart from the Kharagpur-Jharsuguda fourth line, the CCEA also approved seven other railway projects — Katni-Pendra Road fourth line, Bilaspur (Uslapur)-Pendra Road third line, Arakkonam-Renigunta third and fourth lines, Whitefield-Bangarapet third and fourth lines, Hosur-Omalur doubling, Salem-Karur-Dindigul doubling and multi-tracking of Secunderabad (Ghatkesar)-Kazipet.
With an estimated cost of more than Rs 20,000 crore, the projects will cover more than 20 districts across West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.
They will increase the existing Indian Railways network by about 1,200 kilometres.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the projects have been planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, with a focus on enhancing multi-modal connectivity and logistics efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder consultations.
The projects will provide seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods and services, it said.
The proposed projects will enhance connectivity to more than 6,900 villages, with a combined population of more than 1 crore, it said.
“The Kharagpur-Jharsuguda corridor is expected to significantly strengthen rail connectivity and freight movement through Odisha and eastern India.
The capacity augmentation will help ease congestion, improve operational efficiency and enhance the reliability of passenger and freight services on one of the important railway corridors serving the region,” it pointed out.
Outlining the benefits, the ministry said the proposed capacity enhancement would improve rail connectivity to several prominent tourist destinations across the country, including Tara Tarini Temple, Jagannath Temple near Jharsuguda, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Virateshwar Temple, Amarkantak Temple, Jwaleshwar Dham, Achanakmar Tiger Reserve, Khutaghat Dam, Malhar Archaeological Site and Ratanpur Mahamaya Temple.
The proposed projects are essential routes for the transportation of commodities such as coal, cement, iron and steel, it said, adding that the capacity augmentation works would result in additional freight traffic of 74 MTPA.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while briefing media persons about the new projects, also provided an update on the bullet train project and said the indigenous high-speed train would be ready for testing by May-June next year.
The ministry has already set a deadline of August next year for starting the bullet train service on the 100-km-long Surat-Vapi section in Gujarat.