Cabinet greenlights Rs 13,041 crore rail and highway upgrades across four states

In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet gave the go-ahead to five major infrastructure schemes totaling Rs 13,041 crore. Four railway multitracking projects, costing Rs 9,450 crore, will create about 410 km of additional lines across West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, covering eight districts and connecting roughly 6,448 villages with a combined population of 60 lakh. Scheduled for completion by the 2030-31 fiscal year, the rail upgrades are projected to handle an extra 76 million tonnes of freight each year, easing congestion on the Howrah-Chennai corridor and supporting transport of coal, iron ore, cement, steel, containers, automobiles and foodgrains.

Alongside, an 82.578-km stretch of NH-22 in Bihar will be upgraded to a four-lane highway under the Hybrid Annuity Mode, at a capital cost of Rs 3,590.73 crore, enhancing connectivity to the India-Nepal border and several economic hubs. Cabinet Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that the rail projects will complete a quadruple-track on the Howrah-Chennai route, improving train frequency, cargo movement and maintenance. The developments also promise reduced oil imports, lower CO₂ emissions, faster travel times and better access to tourist and cultural sites.