The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved eight multi-tracking railway projects worth ₹ 20,804 crore across nine states, adding nearly 1,200 km to the rail network and aiming to ease congestion on some of the country’s busiest passenger and freight corridors.
The projects, approved by the CCEA at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will cover 31 districts in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. Together, they will improve rail connectivity to nearly 6,900 villages with a combined population of about 10.8 million.
Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the expansion comes as the railways seek to increase line capacity on routes carrying large volumes of coal, cement, iron and steel, containers, automobiles, foodgrains, petroleum products and fertilisers.
“It is much on the lines of the Golden Quadrilateral Project during the regime of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The additional tracks would improve operational efficiency, reduce bottlenecks and enhance the reliability of train services by allowing greater flexibility in scheduling passenger and freight trains. “The additional capacity is aimed at lowering logistics costs by shifting more freight to rail, while reducing dependence on road transportation. Beyond passenger mobility, the government has highlighted the environmental gains from the shift towards rail-based transportation. Increased rail capacity will also support employment and self-employment opportunities by improving access to markets and enabling faster movement of goods.
The government estimates the projects will create additional freight-handling capacity of around 74 million tonnes per annum (MTPA),” he said. “All eight projects are scheduled for completion by 2029-30. The government estimates that the projects in the eastern and central corridors alone could facilitate an additional 27 MTPA of freight, while the five southern projects could support another 47 MTPA,” Vaishanaw added. The approved projects will reduce oil consumption by around 20 crore litres and cut carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 104 crore kg — equivalent to the carbon absorption of about 45 million trees, according to government estimates. Earlier reporting noted: Cabinet approves eight railway multi-tracking projects costing ₹20,804 crore The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday (September 9, 2026) approved eight projects of the Ministry of Railways with a total cost of ₹20,804 crore. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 27 MTPA, the official statement by Railways said.
The projects have been planned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, with an emphasis on integrated planning and multi-modal connectivity,” the minister said. The minister further said the projects would provide seamless movement of people, goods and services while strengthening economic activity in the regions through better connectivity. Earlier reporting noted: “These projects are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as coal, cement, iron and steel, containers, automobiles, food grains, petroleum products, fertilisers, etc.,” an official statement from the Ministry of Railways stated.
Earlier reporting noted: The proposed three projects are essential routes for the transportation of commodities such as coal, cement, iron and steel, etc.
