E-Paper
Cabinet approves two railway projects across Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh
The projects will improve logistics efficiency, reduce transportation costs, and facilitate faster cargo movement
Union Cabinet on Saturday approved two railway expansion projects worth ₹24,815 crore. The projects include construction of Ghaziabad-Sitapur third and fourth line and Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu)–Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) third and fourth line.
The Ghaziabad-Sitapur project covers a distance of 403 km at an estimated cost of ₹14,926 crore and the Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu)-Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) project covers a distance of 198 km worth ₹9,889 crore.
The Ghaziabad-Sitapur project is expected to be completed in four years and includes development of six new stations: New Hapur, New Moradabad, New Rampur, New Bareilly, New Shahjahanpur and New Sitapur. The route passes through multiple districts in Uttar Pradesh, including Ghaziabad, Hapur, Amroha, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Hardoi and Sitapur.
The project will support key industrial hubs along the route and enable additional freight traffic of 36 million tonnes per annum. It will also reduce logistics costs by ₹2,877 crore annually, generate 274 lakh human-days of employment, and result in carbon savings equivalent to planting 5 crore trees.
The Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu)-Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) project has a five-year timeline and includes the construction of a 4.3 km rail bridge over Godavari river.
Also Read: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Reviews Railway Projects, Calls for Faster Upgrades
This is also part of the Howrah-Chennai high-density network and connects major ports, including Kakinada, Machilipatnam and Gangavaram.
The project will improve logistics efficiency, reduce transportation costs, and facilitate faster cargo movement between ports and industrial hubs. It will also cater to key sectors such as thermal power, cement and steel.
The expansion is projected to enable additional freight traffic of 29 million tonnes per annum, generate 135 lakh human-days of employment, and reduce emissions equivalent to planting around 2 crore trees, along with annual logistics cost savings of ₹1,151 crore.
