Cabinet Clears Rs.9,450 Crore Rail Expansion Across Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu

The Economic Affairs Cabinet Committee, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has sanctioned four railway multitracking schemes, together expected to cost about ₹9,450 crore.

These initiatives will extend the rail network by roughly 410 km across eight districts in Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, aiming for completion by FY 2030‑31.

The sanctioned works comprise: a 173 km fourth track from Kharagpur to Bhadrak (Ranital); a 75 km fourth track from Bhadrak to Haridaspur; 90 km of third and fourth tracks from Gummidipundi to Gudur; and 72 km of third and fourth tracks from Cuttack to Paradeep (Badabandha).

By expanding capacity, the scheme should alleviate congestion on heavily used lines, enhance train operations, and boost reliability for both passenger and freight traffic. Formulated within the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the projects seek to strengthen multimodal links and logistical efficiency via coordinated infrastructure development.

Upon completion, the new tracks are projected to improve access for roughly 6,448 villages housing close to 60 lakh residents, enabling smoother flow of passengers, cargo and services.

Odisha will gain a substantial portion of the added capacity, with works on the Bhadrak‑Haridaspur and Cuttack‑Paradeep routes plus the Kharagpur‑Bhadrak stretch.

The enhanced rail network will improve connectivity to key tourist and cultural sites such as Bhitarkanika National Park, Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandipur, Talsari‑Udaypur, Panchalingeswar, Gada Kujanga Jagannath Temple, Sarala Temple, Dhabaleswar Temple and Lalitgiri.

The schemes should also bolster industrial and commercial operations by facilitating smoother rail transport of coal, iron ore, cement, steel, containers, automobiles and food grains.

Indian Railways anticipates that the added capacity could handle an extra 76 million tonnes of freight each year. Moving more goods onto rail is expected to cut logistics expenses and aid India’s environmental targets by reducing reliance on oil‑dependent transport.

Government estimates suggest the projects could conserve roughly 130 million litres of oil and lower CO₂ emissions by about 650 million kg – a gain comparable to planting around 2.6 crore trees.

Collectively, the initiatives are poised to fortify the eastern and southern rail corridors, fostering sustained industrial expansion, tourism development and improved regional links.