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Union cabinet clears ₹6,014 crore road, rail projects in Bihar
The projects include 78.94 km four-lane highway on the Sahebganj–Areraj–Bettiah section of NH-139W, and doubling of the Bakhtiyarpur–Rajgir–Tilaiya railway line
New Delhi: The union cabinet on Wednesday approved a railway and a highway project in Bihar worth a combined ₹6,014 crore.
The 78.94 km four-lane highway on the Sahebganj–Areraj–Bettiah section of National Highway (NH) 139W, worth ₹3,822.31 crore, will be built under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), connecting Patna and Bettiah in Bihar.
“It will link key districts including Vaishali, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran and West Champaran, opening access to agricultural zones, industrial hubs, and religious tourism circuits,” a statement issued by the government said.
Following the cabinet meeting, union rail minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the project is aimed at improving travel efficiency, reducing congestion, and facilitating faster movement of goods and passengers.
The centre expects the corridor to play a key role in strengthening economic activity and cross-border linkages with Nepal.
The Cabinet also approved the doubling of the Bakhtiyarpur–Rajgir–Tilaiya railway line, a 104-km section in central Bihar, at a cost of ₹2,192 crore. “The initiatives are expected to generate jobs during construction and support long-term regional growth once operational,” Vaishnaw said.
Earlier this month, the Cabinet had sanctioned the construction of the Mokama–Munger section of the Buxar–Bhagalpur high-speed corridor and approved the doubling of the Bhagalpur–Dumka–Rampurhat rail line, aimed at strengthening connectivity across Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for multiple infrastructure projects on September 15 alongside Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, which included a thermal power plant at Pirpainti and a newly built terminal building at Purnea Airport.
