Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said the Cabinet has approved three railway multitracking projects worth approx Rs 18,509 crore and cleared an 11.56 kms Noida Metro extension project, in a push to expand rail capacity, reduce logistics costs and strengthen urban connectivity.The Cabinet Committee approved the railway projects spanning 12 districts across Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The projects include Kasara–Manmad (3rd and 4th line), Delhi–Ambala (3rd and 4th line), and Ballari–Hosapete (3rd and 4th line) and are aimed at adding about 389 km to the network of Indian Railways.Also Read: Cabinet approves Rs 1.60 lakh crore rail, bridge and other projects in last meet at South BlockVaishnaw said Indian Railways is now the second largest cargo carrier in the world, underscoring the scale of its freight operations.He outlined an ambitious 2026 agenda built around 52 reforms in 52 weeks, with one reform to be rolled out every week to drive systemic transformation. The first reform will focus on improving on-board services and implementing end-to-end cleaning across the network, with the sanitation overhaul to be phased in across all trains over three years.A key pillar of the roadmap is ‘Gati Shakti Cargo’, aimed at accelerating freight movement and strengthening multimodal logistics under the government’s broader infrastructure push.The projects are slated for completion by 2030–31, it includes: Kasara–Manmad 3rd & 4th Line (Maharashtra)Spanning 131 km across Thane and Nashik districts, this project has an estimated cost of Rs 10,154 crore and a construction timeline of five years. The corridor is part of the plan to quadruple the Mumbai–Howrah high-density route and serves as a critical link connecting Eastern, Central and Western India. The stretch currently witnesses heavy passenger and freight traffic.Delhi–Ambala 3rd & 4th LineCovering 194 km at an estimated cost of Rs 5,983 crore, this expansion will ease congestion on one of North India’s busiest rail corridors. The route is strategically important for passenger movement as well as freight operations connecting the national capital region with Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.Ballari–Hosapete 3rd & 4th Line (Karnataka)The 65-km project, cleared at a cost of Rs 2,372 crore, will strengthen connectivity in a mineral-rich belt of Karnataka. The corridor plays a key role in the movement of iron ore, steel and related industrial freight.Noida Metro ExpansionSeparately, the Cabinet approved the 11.56 kms extension corridor of the Noida Metro from Sector 142 to Botanical Garden in a project worth Rs 2,372 crores, adding eight elevated stations. With this addition, the operational metro network in Noida and Greater Noida will expand to 61.62 km.Also Read: Cabinet allocates over Rs 18,600 crore for India's first underwater twin tube tunnel in Assam ahead of pollsThe corridor will provide interchange connectivity with the Blue and Magenta Lines of the Delhi Metro at Botanical Garden, improving access to major commercial and IT hubs including Microsoft, TCS, Infosys, Adobe and Oracle campuses, as well as educational institutions, healthcare facilities and residential clusters. The government said the expansion is expected to ease congestion, reduce travel time and stimulate economic activity around new metro stations.Vaishnaw also said this marked the final Cabinet briefing from the historic South Block building. “After 95 years, the Indian government is leaving the South Block,” he said, adding that the Cabinet has dedicated “Seva Teerth” to the nation as part of the transition to the new administrative complex.He described the move as symbolic of India’s effort to move beyond its British-era administrative legacy and embrace technological advancement, noting that the South Block premises were being vacated as the government shifts operations to modern infrastructure designed for a digital and future-ready governance framework.
- News Source Indiatimes (Click to view full news): CLICK HERE
0 Comments:
Leave a Reply