Overview
- CCEA approved doubling of the 104‑km Bakhtiyarpur–Rajgir–Tilaiya section at an estimated ₹2,192 crore, covering four Bihar districts and adding 104 km to the network.
- The line serves Rajgir, Nalanda and Pawapuri, with the government saying the upgrade will benefit about 1,434 villages and 13.46 lakh people, including the aspirational districts of Gaya and Nawada.
- Official projections cite additional freight capacity of 26 MTPA, annual oil savings of 5 crore litres and a 24 crore kg reduction in CO2 emissions under the PM‑Gati Shakti plan.
- A day earlier, the Railways announced in‑principle sanction for Punjab’s 18‑km Rajpura–Mohali link costing ₹443 crore, which requires roughly 54 hectares to be acquired by the state before final clearances and construction.
- A proposed Vande Bharat Express between Firozpur Cantt and New Delhi is being advanced for Punjab as a six‑days‑a‑week service, with reported halts in Bathinda, Patiala and Ambala and an estimated 6 hours 40 minutes over 486 km.