Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Cabinet Approves Railway Expansion and Bihar Highway Projects
India’s Cabinet approved four projects to add more railway tracks.
They will cost about ₹9,450 crore and are planned for completion by 2030-31.
The new tracks will cover about 410 km across four states.
More tracks should help trains move more smoothly and reduce crowded routes.
The projects will connect thousands of villages and about 60 lakh people.
They will also help carry goods such as coal, cement, food grains and automobiles.
Officials expect the railways to carry 76 million more tonnes of freight each year.
The projects are also expected to reduce oil use and carbon dioxide emissions.
The Cabinet separately approved a four-lane highway project in Bihar.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved four railway multitracking projects costing approximately ₹9,450 crore.
The projects will add about 410 km of railway lines across West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu by 2030-31.
The routes include fourth lines between Kharagpur–Bhadrak and Bhadrak–Haridaspur, plus third and fourth lines between Gummidipundi–Gudur and Cuttack–Paradeep.
The expansion will cover eight districts, connect about 6,448 villages and serve nearly 60 lakh people while increasing freight capacity by 76 million tonnes annually.
The Cabinet also approved an approximately 82.578-km, four-lane Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi–Sonbarsa section of NH-22 in Bihar for ₹3,590.73 crore.
- Who
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the projects; Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the railway decisions.
- What
- Approval was given for four railway multitracking projects costing approximately ₹9,450 crore and a separate four-laning project on NH-22 in Bihar costing ₹3,590.73 crore.
- When
- The approvals were announced on Wednesday, August 19, with the railway projects scheduled for completion by 2030-31.
- Where
- The railway projects cover West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; the highway project connects Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Sonbarsa in Bihar.
- Why
- The projects aim to expand transport capacity, ease congestion, improve passenger and freight movement, strengthen logistics and regional connectivity, and support economic activity.
- Railway investment
- Approximately ₹9,450 crore
- Railway expansion
- About 410 km across four states
- Railway routes
- Kharagpur–Bhadrak: 173 km; Bhadrak–Haridaspur: 75 km; Gummidipundi–Gudur: 90 km; Cuttack–Paradeep: 72 km
- Railway coverage
- Eight districts, approximately 6,448 villages and nearly 60 lakh people
- Completion target
- 2030-31
- Expected freight capacity
- Additional freight traffic of 76 million tonnes per annum
- Environmental projections
- Around 13 crore litres less oil imports and approximately 65 crore kilograms lower carbon dioxide emissions
- Bihar highway project
- Four-laning of the 82.578-km Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi–Sonbarsa section of NH-22 at an estimated cost of ₹3,590.73 crore
Sources
Cabinet Approves Four Railway Projects Worth ₹9,450 Crore, Boosting Connectivity And Infrastructure Development
Cabinet Clears 410-km Railway Expansion Worth Rs 9,450 Cr
Cabinet okays 4 railway projects worth Rs 9,450 crore
Cabinet approves four multitracking projects covering 8 districts at a cost of Rs 9,450 crore
Cabinet clears Rs 9,450-crore rly projects across 4 states
