Overview
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved four railway multitracking projects and the four‑laning of an NH‑22 section in Bihar, together costing about Rs 13,041 crore.
- The four rail projects total roughly Rs 9,450 crore and will add about 410 km of third/fourth lines across West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with an expected finish by 2030–31.
- Individual rail stretches include the 173 km Kharagpur–Bhadrak fourth line, the 75 km Bhadrak–Haridaspur fourth line, the 90 km Gummidipundi–Gudur third/fourth lines and the 72 km Cuttack–Paradeep third/fourth lines with stated project costs for each section.
- The government projects the works will enable about 76 million tonnes a year of extra freight, save roughly 13 crore litres of oil and cut about 65 crore kg of CO2, and it has directed agencies to begin land acquisition, detailed design and procurement.
- Separately, Maharashtra’s Cabinet infrastructure committee approved Metro Line 13 between Mira‑Bhayandar and Vasai‑Virar with a five‑year delivery target and near‑term land‑acquisition instructions for the MMRDA.