New Delhi, Feb 25: The government has reviewed key infrastructure proposals from the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and Ministry of Civil Aviation aimed at strengthening multimodal connectivity and improving logistics efficiency.
The 109th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) was held at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), focusing on project alignment with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.
Rail Infrastructure Expansion
The NPG evaluated two major railway projects proposed by the Ministry of Railways:
- Jalandhar Cantt–Jammu Tawi Third Line (210.75 km): Spanning Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir, the project will include 27 stations across key districts such as Jalandhar, Pathankot, Kangra, Kathua, and Samba. The corridor carries strategic importance for defence logistics and is expected to boost trade, agriculture transport, and regional economic activity.
- Manikpur–Itarsi Third Line (518.53 km): Covering Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, this corridor will strengthen connectivity across Chitrakoot, Satna, Katni, Jabalpur, and Narmadapuram. The project aims to enhance operational capacity, reduce congestion, and improve network resilience along a critical north-central freight and passenger route.
Airport and Urban Mobility Projects
The Ministry of Civil Aviation proposed a greenfield airport at Doloo, Silchar in Assam, located near NH-27. Once operational, the airport is expected to drive socio-economic development in Cachar district and the broader Barak Valley region.
Additionally, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs proposed a 4.4-km elevated extension of Surat Metro Corridor II (Phase I) in Gujarat, connecting Saroli to the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor. The extension, comprising three stations with provision for two future stations, aims to strengthen urban mobility and integrate Surat more closely with national transport networks.
