The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved two major railway projects worth Rs 27.81 billion in Gujarat and Maharashtra to ease congestion, improve services and boost regional connectivity. Rail Projects Approved • Devbhumi Dwarka (Okha)–Kanalus doubling (141 km) • Badlapur–Karjat 3rd and 4th lines (32 km) Together, the two schemes will add 224 km to the Indian Railways network, benefiting nearly 585 villages with a combined population of about 3.2 million. The Kanalus–Okha doubling will improve access to the Dwarkadhish temple and support development across Saurashtra. The Badlapur–Karjat stretch—part of the Mumbai suburban network—will gain two additional lines to reduce congestion on one of India’s busiest commuter corridors. The route is also critical for the movement of coal, salt, containers, cement and petroleum products, and added capacity is expected to allow Railways to handle up to 18 million tonnes more freight annually. Cabinet Approves Pune Metro Lines 4 & 4A The Cabinet also approved two new corridors under Phase-2 of the Pune Metro project: • Line 4: Kharadi–Hadapsar–Swargate–Khadakwasla • Line 4A: Nal Stop–Warje–Manik Baug This marks the second major approval under Phase-2, following the clearance of Lines 2A and 2B. 31.6 km, 28 Stations Lines 4 and 4A will span 31.636 km with 28 elevated stations, linking IT hubs, business districts, residential zones and major educational institutes across East, South and West Pune. The project, costing Rs 98.5785 billion, will be completed within five years, taking Pune Metro’s network past 100 km. Major Interchanges The new corridors will integrate with existing and upcoming lines at: • Kharadi Bypass • Nal Stop (Line 2) • Swargate (Line 1) They will also connect to Hadapsar Railway Station and proposed extensions toward Loni Kalbhor and Saswad Road. Connectivity Across Key Roads The lines will run along major corridors including: • Solapur Road • Magarpatta Road • Sinhagad Road • Karve Road • Mumbai–Bengaluru Highway Ridership Projections Combined daily ridership for Lines 4 and 4A is expected to be: • 409,000 passengers in 2028 • ~700,000 in 2038 • ~963,000 in 2048 • Over 1.17 million in 2058 The Kharadi–Khadakwasla corridor alone will carry 323,000 passengers in 2028, rising to 933,000 by 2058, while the Nal Stop–Warje–Manik Baug spur will grow from 85,555 to 241,000 over the same period.