The Union Cabinet has cleared a massive infrastructure boost for the national transporter to improve connectivity and ease congestion across multiple states. On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved eight major railway multi-tracking projects. These crucial initiatives involve a total investment of ₹20,804 crore and are scheduled for completion by the 2029-30 fiscal year. Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the sweeping expansion will add approximately 1,196 kilometers to the Indian Railways network, spanning 31 districts across nine states including West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. The massive upgrade is expected to directly benefit around 56 lakh people across 4,790 villages while significantly improving access to key tourist and pilgrimage destinations.
The sanctioned infrastructure works are divided into two primary regional clusters to streamline execution. The first cluster comprises three major projects across West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, valued at
₹10,783 crore and covering
656 kilometers. This group features critical upgrades such as the
Kharagpur-Jharsuguda fourth line, the
Katni-Pendra Road fourth line, and the
Bilaspur (Uslapur)-Pendra Road third line. The second cluster encompasses five projects located in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana, representing an investment of
₹10,021 crore across
540 kilometers. Key lines in this southern cluster include the
Arakkonam-Renigunta third and fourth lines, the
Whitefield-Bangarapet third and fourth lines, the doubling of the
Hosur-Omalur and
Salem-Karur-Dindigul sections, and comprehensive multi-tracking for the
Secunderabad (Ghatkesar)-Kazipet route.
Aligned seamlessly with the
PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, these multi-tracking initiatives are engineered to minimize overall logistics costs and eliminate severe bottlenecks on heavily utilized routes. Collectively, the projects will inject an additional
74 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight capacity into the system, streamlining the seamless transportation of vital commodities like coal, cement, and steel. Furthermore, the Indian government anticipates that shifting heavy freight traffic from congested roadways to efficient rail corridors will substantially lower national oil imports and reduce
CO2 emissions, contributing significantly to India's long-term environmental sustainability goals.
