Date: 2025-08-27Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Cabinet approves multi-tracking of 3 projects benefitting Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar & Assam and One new rail line to connect far flung areas of Kutch, Gujarat
**Executive Summary**
On August 27, 2025, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister, approved four railway infrastructure projects with a total cost of approximately ₹12,328 crore. These projects, undertaken by the Ministry of Railways, encompass the construction of a new rail line in Gujarat and the multitracking of existing lines in Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, and Assam, adding 565 route kilometers to the Indian Railways network.
The projects include:
1. **Deshalpar Hajipir Luna and Vayor Lakhpat New Line (Gujarat):** Construction of a 145 km new line at an estimated cost of ₹2,526 crore, with a completion timeline of 3 years. This line aims to improve connectivity to the Kutch region, including the Rann of Kutch, Dholavira, and various religious sites, benefiting approximately 16 lakh people across 866 villages. It will facilitate the transportation of salt, cement, coal, and other commodities.
2. **Secunderabad Sanathnagar Wadi 3rd and 4th Line (Karnataka & Telangana):** Multitracking of a 173 km line at a cost of ₹5,012 crore, with a 5-year completion timeline, benefitting 47.34 lakh population across 3,108 villages and One Aspirational District Kalaburagi
3. **Bhagalpur Jamalpur 3rd Line (Bihar):** Construction of a 53 km third line at a cost of ₹1,156 crore, to be completed in 3 years.
4. **Furkating New Tinsukia Doubling (Assam):** Doubling of a 194 km line at a cost of ₹3,634 crore, with a 4-year completion timeline.
These projects are expected to enhance the seamless and faster transportation of passengers and goods, improve connectivity, reduce logistics costs, and decrease dependence on oil imports. The enhanced rail infrastructure will also contribute to lower CO2 emissions (360 Crore Kg), equivalent to the plantation of 14 Crore trees, and support sustainable rail operations. During construction, the projects are estimated to generate direct employment of 251 lakh human-days.
The capacity augmentation works will enable the Railways to handle an additional freight traffic of 68 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA). By facilitating efficient transportation of commodities like coal, cement, steel, fertilizers, and petroleum products, the projects are poised to optimize supply chains and accelerate economic growth.
These initiatives align with the Prime Minister's vision of a "New India" by promoting comprehensive development, enhancing employment and self-employment opportunities, and improving multimodal connectivity and logistic efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder consultations under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
(PIB Delhi, Release ID: 2161227, Posted On: 27 AUG 2025 4:50PM)
Key Entities Referenced
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs: An Indian government body that approved the railway projects.
Karnataka: One of the states that will benefit from the approved railway projects.
Telangana: One of the states that will benefit from the approved railway projects.
Bihar: One of the states that will benefit from the approved railway projects.
Assam: One of the states that will benefit from the approved railway projects.
Gujarat: One of the states where a new rail line will be constructed, specifically in the Kutch region.
Shri Narendra Modi: The Prime Minister of India, who chaired the Union Cabinet meeting that approved the railway projects.
PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan: A national plan focused on enhancing multimodal connectivity and logistic efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder consultations, aligned with the railway projects.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
Cabinet approves multi-tracking of 3 projects
benefitting Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar & Assam
and One new rail line to connect far flung areas of
Kutch, Gujarat
Decision to benefit both passenger & goods; New rail
line in Kutch to boost tourism by connecting the
bordering Rann of Kutch, Harappan site Dholavira,
Koteshwar temple, Narayan Sarovar & Lakhpat fort
Transportation of coal, cement, clinker, fly-ash, steel,
containers, fertilizers, agriculture commodities and
Petroleum products etc to get a boost as Railways
add 565 route kms to its existing network
Posted On: 27 AUG 2025 4:50PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved Four projects of Ministry of
Railways with totalcost of Rs. 12,328 Crore (approx.). These projects include: -
(1) Deshalpar – Hajipir – Luna and Vayor – Lakhpat New Line
(2) Secunderabad (Sanathnagar) – Wadi 3rd and 4th Line
(3) Bhagalpur – Jamalpur 3rd line
(4) Furkating – New Tinsukia Doubling
The above projects aim to ensure seamless and faster transportation of both passengers and goods. These
initiatives will provide connectivity & improve travel convenience besides reducing logistic cost and decrease
dependence on oil imports. Additionally, the projects will contribute to lower CO emissions, thereby
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supporting sustainable and efficient rail operations.The projects will also generate direct employment for
about 251 (Two Hundred and Fifty-one) lakhhuman-days during its construction.
The proposed new line will provide connectivity to far-fetched area of Kutch region. It will add 145 route km
& 164 track km to the existing railway network in Gujarat with an estimated cost of 2526 crore rupees. The
completion timeline of the project is 3 years. Besides promoting the tourism in the state of Gujarat, the new
rail line will help in transportation of salt, cement, coal, clinker & bentonite. The strategic importance of the
project is that it will provide connectivity to Rann of Kutch. Harappan site Dholavira, Koteshwar temple,
Narayan Sarovar &Lakhpat fort will also come under the rail network as 13 new railway stations will be
added benefitting 866 villages and about 16 Lakh population.In a major Connectivity boost, the approved Multi-tracking projects will enhance connectivity to approx.
3,108 villages and about 47.34 lakh population and One Aspirational District (Kalaburagi) benefitting the
states of Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar & Assam. The completion timeline for 173 km long Secunderabad
(Sanathnagar) – Wadi 3rd and 4th Line, spanning across Karnataka & Telangana, having cost of 5012 crores,
is five years while for the 53 km long Bhagalpur – Jamalpur 3rd line in Bihar, it is three years, for which the
cost is 1156 crore rupees. The work for 194 km long Furkating – New Tinsukia Doubling, having the cost of
3634 crore rupees, will be completed in four years.
The increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency
and service reliability for Indian Railways. These multi-tracking proposals are poised to streamline operations
and alleviate congestion. The projects are in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji’s Vision of a
New India which will make people of the region “Atmanirbhar” by way of comprehensive development in the
area which will enhance their employment/ self-employment opportunities.
The projects are planned on PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan with focused on enhancing multi-modal
connectivity &logistic efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder consultations. The four projects
covering 13 Districts across the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar and Assam will increase the
existing network of Indian Railways by about 565 Kms.
These are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as coal, cement, clinker, flyash, steel,
containers, fertilizers, agriculture commodities and Petroleum products etc. The capacity augmentation works
will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 68 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum). The Railways
being environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate
goals and minimizing logistics cost of the country, reduce oil import (56 Crore Litres) and lower
CO emissions (360 Crore Kg) which is equivalent to plantation of 14 Crore trees.
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The proposed projects aim to enhance logistical efficiency by augmenting line capacity along critical routes
for transportation of coal, containers, cement, agricultural commodities, Automobile, POL, Iron & Steel and
other goods. These improvements are expected to optimize supply chains, thereby facilitating accelerated
economic growth.
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MJPS/BM
(Release ID: 2161227)