|New Delhi: In a significant move to enhance infrastructure and skill development, the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved four major multi-tracking railway projects and cleared a ₹2,000 crore grant for the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The decisions were made during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the aim of improving rail connectivity, generating employment, and strengthening India’s logistics and transport capabilities.

Announcing the approvals at a press briefing, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the multi-tracking projects will span across 13 districts in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand. The projects include the construction of a fourth rail line between Itarsi and Nagpur, doubling of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Parbhani route, addition of third and fourth lines between Aluabari Road and New Jalpaiguri, and the third and fourth lines between Dangoaposi and Jaroli. Together, these projects will expand the Indian Railways network by approximately 574 kilometers, at a total estimated cost of ₹11,169 crore. Completion is targeted for the financial year 2028–29.

The railway minister emphasized the wide-ranging impact of these initiatives, noting that the projects will significantly enhance connectivity to 2,309 villages, benefiting an estimated 4.36 million people.

Moreover, the construction phase is expected to generate around 229 lakh man-days of direct employment, providing a major economic boost to the regions involved. Vaishnaw highlighted that improved mobility and service reliability across the rail network will follow the completion of these works, supporting both passenger and freight operations.

These projects are being developed under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which focuses on enhancing multi-modal connectivity and improving logistics efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder coordination. According to the railway ministry, the proposed lines will play a crucial role in the movement of commodities such as coal, cement, clinker, fly ash, containers, agricultural goods, and petroleum products. The capacity enhancement is expected to support an additional 95.91 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight traffic.

The environmental benefits of the projects are also noteworthy.

The minister stated that rail transport, being more eco-friendly and energy-efficient than road transport, will contribute to climate goals. The additional capacity will reduce oil imports by an estimated 160 million litres and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 5.15 billion kilograms, a reduction equivalent to planting approximately 200 million trees.