Cabinet Clears Rs 64 Billion Rail Projects in Key States

12 Jun 2025 CW Team

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved two major railway infrastructure projects with a combined investment of Rs 64.05 billion. These projects aim to strengthen connectivity and freight movement across key states while supporting the government’s multi-modal logistics strategy.

The approved projects include the 133-kilometre Koderma–Barkakana doubling in Jharkhand and the 185-kilometre Ballari–Chikjajur doubling, spanning Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Together, they will expand the Indian Railways network by 318 kilometres and improve access to approximately 1,408 villages, home to over 2.8 million people.

The Koderma–Barkakana section cuts through a prominent coal-producing region and forms the most efficient rail link between Patna and Ranchi. The Ballari–Chikjajur line, covering districts in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, will significantly decongest existing routes and improve operational efficiency.

These capacity augmentation works are expected to support an additional 49 million tonnes per annum of freight traffic, critical for transporting coal, iron ore, cement, fertilisers, petroleum products and agricultural goods. The initiatives are part of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, designed to foster integrated, seamless connectivity for people and goods across India.

The environmental impact is also notable—Indian Railways, being a green and energy-efficient transport mode, will help the country reduce oil imports by an estimated 520 million litres and cut CO₂ emissions by around 2.64 billion kilograms. This is equivalent to planting approximately 110 million trees.

These projects also align with the government’s vision of building an “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) by generating local employment, encouraging self-employment, and promoting inclusive regional development.

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

VECV Sales Rise 7.8 Per Cent In May 2026

VE Commercial Vehicles recorded sales of 7,978 units in May 2026, compared to 7,401 units in May 2025, registering growth of 7.8 per cent. This included 7,789 units from the Eicher brand and 189 units from the Volvo brand.Eicher branded trucks and buses reported sales of 7,789 units during the month, up 7.3 per cent from 7,258 units a year earlier. In the domestic commercial vehicle market, Eicher sales rose 9.1 per cent to 7,375 units from 6,758 units in May 2025.Exports declined 17.2 per cent to 414 units from 500 units in the corresponding month last year. Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses recor..

Table Space Strengthens DESYN Leadership Team

Table Space has announced strategic leadership appointments within DESYN, its integrated Design and Build business, as it looks to strengthen operations across key enterprise and GCC markets in India. DESYN was launched as a strategic extension of Table Space’s workspace solutions portfolio to meet rising demand for agile, high-quality and rapidly deployable enterprise workspaces.Shruti Ookabhoy has joined DESYN as Executive Director and will lead the Design vertical, focusing on design capability, operational excellence and team development across markets. She brings over 22 years of experi..

Concord Associate Bags Rs 2.79 Bn Kavach Order

Concord Control Systems said its associate company, Progota India, has received a Rs 2.79 bn domestic order from Indian Railways for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of on-board Kavach 4.0 loco equipment.The order is scheduled for execution within 12 months and strengthens Concord’s role in India’s railway safety and signalling ecosystem. Kavach is India’s indigenous automatic train protection system, designed to improve operational safety by helping prevent signal passing at danger and reducing collision risks.Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Syst..