The Network Planning Group (NPG) convened its 101st meeting to assess key infrastructure proposals in the road transport and railway sectors, focusing on improving multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.

Projects from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the Ministry of Railways (MoR) were evaluated for alignment with GatiShakti principles, including integrated planning, last-mile connectivity to economic hubs, and a coordinated ‘whole-of-government’ approach.

The initiatives under review are expected to reduce travel time, ease congestion, and deliver wide-ranging socio-economic benefits in their respective regions.

MoRTH proposed the upgradation of the 154.6-kilometre Ghoti–Palghar stretch of NH-160A in Maharashtra, which serves as an alternate freight corridor linking Nashik’s industrial hubs with western coastal ports. The project is designed to bypass congested urban routes, improve access to the Nashik Multi-Modal Logistics Park, and strengthen connections to major highways and railway lines.

Benefits include enhanced port-linked logistics, faster movement of perishables, improved cold-chain infrastructure, and economic growth for Trimbak, Jawhar, and Palghar, boosting tourism and supporting local MSMEs.

MoRTH has also proposed a two-lane highway with paved shoulders from Hiwarkhedi to Basinda–Roshni and the widening of the Deshgaon–Julwaniya stretch into a four-lane divided carriageway. Covering nearly 300 kilometres, this corridor will enhance interstate connectivity across Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. It will create a shorter link between Nagpur and Vadodara, improving access to industrial zones and the NTPC Super Thermal Power Station at Khargone. The project is expected to lower logistics costs, reduce congestion, and promote balanced economic growth across central and western India.

In the railway sector, MoR has proposed capacity augmentation along the 56-kilometre Gamharia–Chandil section by adding a third and fourth track. With current utilisation exceeding 130 per cent, the expansion aims to decongest a vital freight corridor carrying iron ore and raw materials to major steel plants. This will boost freight efficiency, minimise delays, and support industrial and mineral supply chains in eastern India.

Another proposal involves the construction of a fourth railway line along the 81.2-kilometre Sainthia–Pakur route, identified as an Energy Corridor. The project aims to handle rising freight and passenger volumes, promote a shift from road to rail, and enhance punctuality and operational reliability. Serving power plants, cement factories, and mining clusters, the corridor is expected to strengthen logistics connectivity for core industries across eastern India.

Collectively, these proposals reflect the Centre’s continued focus on integrated transport planning, logistics cost reduction, and sustainable regional development under the PM GatiShakti initiative.