The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved eight multi-tracking railway projects worth Rs 20,804 crore across nine states, adding nearly 1,200 km to the existing rail network.

The projects span 31 districts across West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. Together, they are expected to improve connectivity to nearly 6,900 villages with a combined population of around 10.8 million.

The approved works include additional lines on key passenger and freight corridors such as Kharagpur-Jharsuguda, Katni-Pendra Road, Bilaspur-Pendra Road, Arakkonam-Renigunta, Whitefield-Bangarpet, Hosur-Omalur, Salem-Karur-Dindigul and Secunderabad-Kazipet.

The projects are scheduled for completion by 2029-30 and are expected to add around 74 million tonnes per annum of freight-handling capacity. The government estimates that the additional tracks will improve operational efficiency, reduce bottlenecks and lower logistics costs by enabling greater movement of freight by rail.

The projects have been planned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, with a focus on integrated and multimodal connectivity.