Cabinet approves six multi-tracking projects worth Rs 12,000 crore

Projects likely to add 87 million tonnes of cargo for rail

Following the interim budget announcement of 434 railway track expansion projects, the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved six multi-tracking projects of the Ministry of Railways with an estimated cost of Rs 12,343 crore.

“The multi-tracking proposals will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-required infrastructural development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways,” the Cabinet said in a press release on Thursday.

According to the Centre, the projects will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by 1,020 kilometres and will provide employment of about thirty million man-days.

The projects, evaluated under the Prime Minister Gati-Shakti National Master Plan framework, span across 18 districts in the states of Rajasthan, Assam, Telangana, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Nagaland.

These are essential routes for the transportation of commodities such as food grains, food commodities, fertilisers, coal, cement, iron, steel, fly-ash, clinker, limestone, POL, container, etc. According to the railways, these projects, once completed, will add 87 million tonnes (mt) of cargo in the national transporter’s freight basket.

This would broadly translate into Rs 8,500-9,000 crore of revenue per year.