Govt Clears ₹23,437 Crore Railway Expansion Project Across Six States.

The Union Cabinet recently approved three railway multi-tracking projects worth ₹23,437 crore aimed at decongesting key routes and expanding network capacity, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The approved projects include the Nagda–Mathura line, the Guntakal–Wadi third and fourth line expansion, and the Burhwal–Sitapur third and fourth line expansion. Together, these projects will add approximately 901 kilometres to the Indian Railways network.

The government said the projects are part of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and are designed to improve multi-modal connectivity, streamline rail operations, and enhance service reliability across the network.

Spanning 19 districts across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, the projects are expected to benefit around 4,161 villages with a combined population of nearly 83 lakh. They will also improve rail connectivity to key tourist destinations, including the Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ranthambore National Park, Keoladeo National Park, and Mathura.

According to the government, the capacity expansion will support the movement of essential commodities such as coal, cement, foodgrains, and steel, while enabling additional freight traffic of about 60 million tonnes per annum.

The ministry added that the enhanced rail infrastructure will help reduce logistics costs, cut oil imports by an estimated 37 crore litres, and lower carbon emissions by around 185 crore kilograms—equivalent to planting nearly 7 crore trees.