Indian Railways to add fourth tracks on seven key corridors covering 11,000 km
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a plan to expand seven high-density routes to four tracks, boosting capacity on routes that handle 41% of traffic while occupying 16% of the network.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, India's railway minister, revealed a scheme to quadruple the tracks on seven of the country's busiest rail corridors, which together carry 41% of all train movements while occupying only 16% of the network. The selected routes - linking Delhi, Howrah, Chennai, Mumbai, Guwahati and other major hubs - will be expanded to four tracks across an estimated 11,000 km. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has cleared four multi-tracking projects worth roughly Rs. 9,450 crore, adding a fourth line to sections in West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and extending the network by about 410 km.
These works are integrated into the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan to improve multimodal logistics and reduce congestion. The upgrades complement a wider push to modernize Indian Railways, which has seen its budget rise to Rs. 2.78 lakh crore for FY2026-27 and electrification reach 99.6% by July 2026. The added capacity is expected to lower freight costs, enhance passenger service and support tourism to several regional attractions.
Why it matters
Expanding to four tracks will ease congestion on India's busiest rail lines, lowering travel times and freight costs for millions.
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