Cabinet Clears ₹24,815 Cr Rail Expansion Projects In UP, Andhra

New Delhi, April 18: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Narendra Modi, has approved two major railway multitracking projects with a combined investment of ₹24,815 crore, aimed at enhancing capacity and connectivity across Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

The projects—Ghaziabad–Sitapur 3rd and 4th Line (403 km) and Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu)–Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) 3rd and 4th Line (198 km)—will expand the Indian Railways network by approximately 601 km, covering 15 districts across the two states.

The ₹14,926 crore Ghaziabad–Sitapur project forms a critical part of the Delhi–Guwahati High Density Network (HDN-4) and is expected to significantly improve connectivity between northern and eastern regions. The corridor passes through key industrial hubs such as Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, and Roza, supporting sectors including engineering, handicrafts, textiles, and power. To ease congestion, the alignment includes bypasses around major stations and the development of six new stations.

The ₹9,889 crore Rajahmundry–Visakhapatnam project is part of the Howrah–Chennai High Density Network and aligns with the broader quadrupling initiative on this high-traffic corridor. Running along the eastern coastline, the route is a key freight artery within the East Coast Rail Corridor, serving districts such as East Godavari, Kakinada, Anakapalle, and Visakhapatnam.

Both projects are expected to strengthen logistics efficiency by facilitating the movement of bulk commodities including coal, cement, foodgrains, fertilizers, iron and steel, and petroleum products.

In addition to freight and industrial benefits, the projects are set to improve connectivity to major tourist and religious destinations such as Dudheshwarnath Temple, Garhmukteshwar Ganga Ghat, Naimisharanya, Annavaram, Antarvedi, and Draksharamam, thereby supporting regional tourism growth.

The capacity augmentation is aligned with the government’s broader infrastructure push, aimed at decongesting high-density rail routes, improving operational efficiency, and supporting economic expansion.