Bhubaneswar: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved eight railway projects, including six in Odisha, with a total estimated cost of Rs 24,657 crore, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Friday.
Vaishnaw said in a press briefing that the new line projects will provide direct connectivity and improve mobility, facilitating enhanced efficiency and service reliability for the Indian Railways. The eight projects covering 14 districts in seven states such as Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana and West Bengal will increase the existing network of the Indian Railways by 900 kilometres, he said.
“With these projects, 64 new stations will be constructed, providing enhancing connectivity to six Aspirational Districts (East Singhbum, Bhadadri Kothagudem, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Rayagada),” he said. Six of these eight railway lines— Gunupur-Therubali, (Rs 1,326 crore), JunagarhNabrangpur (Rs 3,274 crore), Malkangiri–Pandurangapuram via Bhadrachalam (Rs 4,109 crore), Badampahar – Kandujhargarh (Rs 2,107 crore), Bangriposi – Gorumahisani (Rs 2,549 crore) and BuramaraChakulia (Rs 1,639 crore). Two other new lines Jalna – Jalgaon and Bikramshila – Katareah are in Maharashtra and Bihar, respectively
PNN