Overview

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved four projects covering Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh, adding about 894 km of track.
• Approved corridors include Wardha–Bhusawal (314 km), Gondia–Dongargarh (84 km), Vadodara–Ratlam (259 km), and Itarsi–Bhopal–Bina (237 km).
• The Ministry of Railways projects added freight capacity of about 78 million tonnes per annum for coal, containers, cement, fly ash, food grains, and steel.
• Connectivity benefits are cited for roughly 3,633 villages with a combined population of about 85.84 lakh, including the Aspirational Districts of Vidisha and Rajnandgaon.
• Official estimates highlight reduced oil use by about 28 crore litres and lower CO2 emissions by around 139 crore kilograms, with tourism links to sites such as Sanchi and Satpura Tiger Reserve; implementation timelines were not specified.