New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved on Wednesday the doubling of the Bhagalpur–Dumka–Rampurhat railway track across Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, involving an investment of around ₹3,169 crore.
A statement issued by the government said, “The enhanced line capacity will improve mobility, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. The multi-tracking proposal will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-required infrastructural development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways.”
The project, which aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of a New India, will expand the Indian Railways network by around 177 km and cover five districts across the three states, the centre said in the statement.
Also read: Cabinet clears ₹12,328 crore railway projects across five states
It will also improve access to prominent destinations such as Deoghar (Baba Baidyanath Dham) and Tarapith (Shakti Peeth), thereby facilitating travel for pilgrims and tourists, the statement added.
The government said that multi-tracking will enhance connectivity for approximately 441 villages, covering a population of about 28.72 lakh, including three districts — Banka, Godda, and Dumka.
{{/usCountry}}The government said that multi-tracking will enhance connectivity for approximately 441 villages, covering a population of about 28.72 lakh, including three districts — Banka, Godda, and Dumka.
{{/usCountry}}The route is significant for the movement of commodities such as coal, cement, fertilizers, bricks, and stones. Capacity augmentation is expected to generate additional freight traffic of about 15 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), the statement said.
Also Read: Financial turnaround of Indian Railways
The project, the statement added, aims at comprehensive regional development and generating employment and self-employment opportunities. Planned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the proposal focuses on improving multi-modal connectivity and logistics efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder consultations.
“The railways, being an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimizing logistics costs for the country, reduce oil imports (by 5 crore litres), and lower CO2 emissions (by 24 crore kg), which is equivalent to the plantation of 1 crore trees,” the statement concluded.