Govt announces two railway projects worth ₹6,798 crore in Telangana, Andhra and Bihar

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, October 24, gave the green light to two railway projects in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for a total approximate cost of ₹6,798 crore.

The first of the two railway projects will double the lines in the Narkatiaganj-Raxaul-Sitamarhi-Darbhanga and Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur section, covering 256 km. Meanwhile, the second project involves the construction of a new line between Errupalem and Namburu via Amaravati, the new proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh, covering 57 km.

The projects are estimated to be completed in five years and expected to generate direct employment amounting to 1.06 crore human-days.

Railway extension project in Bihar

The doubling of the Narkatiaganj-Raxaul-Sitamarhi-Darbhanga and Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur section in Bihar will “strengthen the connectivity to Nepal, North-east India and Border areas and facilitating the movement of passenger trains along with goods train resulting in the socio-economic growth of the region,” said the press release detailing the two approved projects.

This multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to two districts, Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur while connecting an estimated 388 villages and about nine lakh people.

By easing operations and reducing congestion, this project will provide the “much needed” infrastructural development on the “busiest sections across the Indian Railways,” as per the release.

New rail line in Andhra and Telangana

Further, the new rail line Errupalem-Amaravati-Namburu project will traverse through Andhra and Telangana. Along with the addition of 9 stations, the project is set to provide railway connectivity to about 168 villages and 12 lakh people, according to a press release by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

With the completion of the two rail projects across eight districts in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Bihar, the existing network of the Indian Railways will get an additional length of 313 km.

The new line aims to provide direct connectivity to Amaravati, the proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Economic and climate benefits

“These are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as agriculture products, fertiliser, coal, iron ore, steel, cement, etc. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 31 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum),” the government said.

Further adding that “the railways being environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimising logistics cost of the country, lower CO2 emissions (168 crore kg) which is equivalent to the plantation of seven crore trees.”