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• The Cabinet has approved two railway multitracking projects in West Bengal and Jharkhand at an estimated cost of INR 4,474 crore.
• The Sainthia–Pakur and Santragachi–Kharagpur fourth-line projects will add around 192 km to the rail network.
• The projects, targeted for completion by 2030-31, aim to improve rail capacity and reduce congestion.
• The corridors will enhance connectivity across five districts and benefit around 1.47 crore people.
• The expansion will support freight movement of coal, cement, steel, foodgrains and petroleum products.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved two railway multitracking projects with a total estimated investment of INR 4,474 crore aimed at expanding rail infrastructure capacity in West Bengal and Jharkhand. The Ministry of Railways announced the approval on 10 March and said the projects are targeted for completion by 2030-31. Advertisement
The approved projects comprise the Sainthia–Pakur fourth line and the Santragachi–Kharagpur fourth line. Together, the projects will increase the Indian Railways network by approximately 192 km across five districts in the two states. The ministry stated that the additional lines are intended to improve operational efficiency, reduce congestion on existing routes and enhance reliability of railway services.
According to the government, the projects have been planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan with a focus on multimodal connectivity and integrated logistics planning. The ministry said the additional rail infrastructure would facilitate smoother movement of passengers, freight and services while strengthening regional connectivity.
The ministry stated that the projects are expected to improve connectivity for around 5,652 villages with a combined population of approximately 1.47 crore people. The enhanced rail network is also expected to improve access to several tourist and religious destinations in the region, including Bolpur-Shantiniketan, the Nandikeshwari Temple, Tarapith, Patachitra Gram, Dhadika Forest, Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary and Rameshwar Kund.
The approved corridors are considered important freight routes for transportation of commodities including coal, stone, dolomite, cement, slag, gypsum, iron and steel, foodgrains, petroleum products and containers. The ministry said the proposed capacity augmentation is expected to support additional freight traffic of around 31 million tonnes per annum.
The government stated that the projects would contribute towards reducing logistics costs and improving freight movement efficiency through rail transportation, which it described as an energy-efficient and environmentally favourable mode of transport. According to the ministry, the projects could help reduce oil imports by around six crore litres and lower carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 28 crore kg. The projected reduction in emissions has been equated to the environmental impact of planting around one crore trees.
The ministry added that the projects align with the government’s broader infrastructure expansion and regional development objectives. It stated that the additional rail capacity and improved connectivity could support employment and self-employment opportunities in the project regions through associated economic activity and improved transport access.
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