Railways' Ambitious ?4 Lakh Crore Plan to Multi-Track Routes

(400 words) India’s Railways has recently proposed an ambitious ?4 lakh crore plan to multi-track seven busy routes across the country, aiming to enhance operational efficiency and cater to the increasing passenger and freight requirements. This proposal comes as a part of the Railways' vision to augment infrastructure and streamline operations. The seven identified routes for multi-tracking include Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Howrah, Howrah-Chennai, Chennai-Mumbai, Delhi-Chennai, Mumbai-Howrah, and Howrah-Guwahati. These routes are considered crucial and carry heavy traffic, both in terms of passengers and freight, warranting the need for additional tracks for smooth transportation. By multi-tracking these routes, Railways aims to increase capacity, reduce travel time, and improve service reliability. The estimated cost for multi-tracking these routes is around ?4 lakh crore, which will be phased out over a period of five years. The Railways is exploring various funding options, including public-private partnership (