New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday approved two projects of the railway ministry with a total cost of Rs 24,815 crore.
The projects include the 403 km Ghaziabad-Sitapur 3rd and 4th lines in Uttar Pradesh and the 198 km Rajahmundry-Visakhapatnam 3rd and 4th lines in Andhra Pradesh.
According to a government statement, the increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for the Indian Railways.
“These multi-tracking proposals are poised to streamline operations and alleviate congestion. The projects are in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a new India, which will make people of the region ‘Aatmanirbhar’ (self-reliant) by way of comprehensive development that will enhance their employment/self-employment opportunities,” the statement said.
“The projects are part of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan with a focus on enhancing multi-modal connectivity and logistical efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder consultations. They will provide seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods and services,” it added.
The two projects covering 15 districts across Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 601 km.
Outlining the benefits of the two projects, the government said they are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as coal, foodgrains, cement, iron and steel, containers, fertiliser, sugar, chemical salts, limestone, etc.
“The railways being an environment-friendly and energy-efficient mode of transportation, the projects will help both in achieving climate goals and minimising logistics cost, lowering CO2 emissions equivalent to planting 7.33 crore trees,” the government said.
The construction of these new lines will also provide a boost to the tourism sector as they will improve rail connectivity to several prominent destinations, including the Dudheshwarnath temple, Garhmukteshwar Ghat, Dargah Shah Wilayat Jama Masjid (Amroha), Naimisharanya (Sitapur), Annavaram, Antarvedi, Draksharamam, etc., the statement said.
The Ghaziabad-Sitapur is an existing double-line section forming a key part of the Delhi-Guwahati high-density network.
Talking about the benefits of the line, the government said the project is crucial for improving connectivity between the northern and eastern regions of the country because the existing line capacity utilisation of the section is up to 168 per cent, which is projected to go up to 207 per cent in case the project is not taken up.
Transversing through Ghaziabad, Hapur, Amroha, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Sahjahanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur districts of Uttar Pradesh, the project route passes through some major industrial centres – Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur and Roza.
The Rajahmundry-Visakhapatnam section forms part of the Howrah-Chennai high-density network, and the proposed project is part of a quadrupling initiative for the route.
The government said the project passes through East Godavari, Konaseema, Kakinada, Anakapalle and Vishakapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh.
“Visakhapatnam is identified as an aspirational district. It provides connectivity to some major ports along the east coast, such as Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Machilipatnam and Kakinada,” the statement said.
“The project route runs along the eastern coastline and is among the busiest, predominantly freight-oriented sections of the East Coast Rail Corridor,” it said, adding that the line capacity utilisation of the section has already reached up to 130 per cent, causing frequent congestion and operational delays.
“The line capacity is expected to increase further due to the proposed expansion of ports and industries in the region,” the government said.
