New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that two new railway projects will improve connectivity, commerce and also boost sustainability.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Modi, has approved two multi-tracking projects across the Indian Railways network, entailing an investment of Rs 6,405 crore.

“Today, two vital projects relating to the Railways were approved. Covering various states, these projects will improve connectivity, commerce and also boost sustainability,” said the Prime Minister in a post on social media platform X.

The first project relates to the doubling of the 133 km Koderma–Barkakana railway line, which passes through a major coal-producing area of Jharkhand. It also serves as the shortest and a more efficient rail link between Patna and Ranchi. The second project involves doubling of the 185 km Ballari–Chikjajur railway line, which traverses through Ballari and Chitradurga districts of Karnataka and Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.

The two projects covering seven districts across the states of Jharkhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 318 km and are expected to generate direct employment for about 108 lakh human-days during construction, the official statement said.

The approved multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to approximately 1,408 villages, which have a population of about 28.19 lakh.

The increased railway line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways.

The projects are the result of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, which has been made possible through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods and services.

These are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as coal, iron ore, finished steel, cement, fertilisers, agricultural commodities, and Petroleum products, etc. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 49 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum).

–IANS

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