PM Modi Hails ₹13,041 Crore Rail, Highway Push
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed the Union Cabinet’s approval of four major railway multitracking projects and a four-lane highway project in Bihar, saying the investments will improve connectivity, freight movement, commerce and tourism. The five projects involve a combined investment of around ₹13,041 crore.
PM Modi Backs ₹13,041 Crore Infrastructure Push
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved four railway projects worth approximately ₹9,450 crore across West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The projects will add around 410 km of railway capacity and are intended to reduce congestion on heavily used passenger and freight corridors.
Modi said the additional capacity would strengthen passenger and cargo movement while delivering greater logistics efficiency and improving regional connectivity.
Railway Projects Strengthen Howrah-Chennai Corridor
The approved works include a 173-km fourth line between Kharagpur and Bhadrak, a 75-km fourth line between Bhadrak and Haridaspur, and additional lines on the Gummidipundi-Gudur and Cuttack-Paradeep sections.
The railway projects will cover eight districts and are expected to improve connectivity for around 6,448 villages with a combined population of nearly 60 lakh.
They are scheduled for completion by 2030-31.
Bihar NH-22 Highway Gets Cabinet Approval
The Cabinet also approved the four-laning of the 82.5-km Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of NH-22 at an estimated cost of ₹3,590.73 crore.
The highway will strengthen connectivity between Muzaffarpur and the India-Nepal border at Sonbarsa while improving access to major economic and logistics centres.
Modi said the project would reduce travel time while supporting economic activity and tourism across Bihar.
