New Delhi, March 10 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved two railway multi-tracking projects worth ₹4,474 crore to improve mobility and operational efficiency on key routes in eastern India.
The projects — Sainthia–Pakur 4th Line and Santragachi–Kharagpur 4th Line — will expand the Indian Railways network by 192 km across five districts in West Bengal and Jharkhand.
Scheduled for completion by 2030-31, the projects are expected to improve rail connectivity for around 5,652 villages, benefiting nearly 1.47 crore people in the region.
The additional lines will also improve access to major tourist destinations such as Bolpur Shantiniketan, Nandikeshwari Temple, Tarapith Temple, Patachitra Gram, Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary, and Rameshwar Kund.
Officials said the projects will ease congestion on busy routes and improve service reliability by increasing line capacity. They will also strengthen freight movement of commodities such as coal, cement, iron and steel, foodgrains, petroleum products and containers.
The projects are part of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, aimed at improving multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency through integrated infrastructure planning.
According to the government, the expansion will support regional economic development, create employment opportunities and help reduce logistics costs while contributing to India’s climate goals.
