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Cabinet clears rail capacity expansion in Eastern India to support freight corridors and regional connectivity

India | March 16, 2026
Federal Reserve Building

India’s Cabinet has approved two railway multitracking projects valued at ₹44.74 billion in West Bengal and Jharkhand. The upgrades aim to expand line capacity on key routes, reduce congestion and strengthen freight logistics across eastern India under the PM Gati Shakti infrastructure integration framework.

India’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved two railway multitracking projects in eastern India with a combined investment of ₹44.74 billion. According to an official statement, the projects involve construction of fourth railway lines on the Sainthia-Pakur and Santragachi-Kharagpur corridors, adding roughly 192 kilometres of track capacity across West Bengal and Jharkhand. The developments are scheduled for completion by the 2030–31 financial year.

The Ministry of Railways, which oversees the planning and operation of the national rail network, expects the additional lines to relieve congestion on heavily used routes that handle both passenger traffic and bulk commodity shipments. The upgraded corridors will pass through five districts and are projected to enhance connectivity for approximately 14.7 million residents across more than 5,600 villages. Increasing track capacity on these routes is expected to improve operational reliability and reduce transit delays across eastern India’s rail network. The projects also align with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, a government initiative designed to coordinate infrastructure planning across transport, logistics and industrial sectors. The additional rail capacity is expected to support movement of key industrial commodities including coal, cement, iron and steel, petroleum products and agricultural goods.

Authorities estimate the upgraded routes could handle an additional freight load of around 31 million tonnes annually. For logistics providers, manufacturing companies and commodity producers operating in eastern India, improved rail throughput may lower transportation bottlenecks and enhance supply chain efficiency. The infrastructure expansion may also support regional economic activity by improving access to tourism destinations and industrial clusters along the corridor.

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#railway line #corridor #master plan

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