Two Rail Capacity Projects Worth Rs 4,474 Crore Cleared To Expand Key Freight Routes In West Bengal And Jharkhand

The Union government has approved two major railway capacity expansion projects worth approximately Rs 4,474 crore, to strengthen freight movement across key rail corridors in eastern India.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Narendra Modi.

The projects involve construction of a fourth railway line on the Sainthia–Pakur and Santragachi–Kharagpur sections.

The expansion will add about 192 km of additional railway lines, covering five districts across West Bengal and Jharkhand.

Authorities said the projects have been designed under the government’s PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which focuses on integrated infrastructure planning to strengthen multi-modal connectivity and improve logistics efficiency across the country.

The expanded network will also improve connectivity for approximately 5,652 villages, benefiting a population of nearly 14.7 million people in the surrounding areas.

The upgraded lines are expected to strengthen rail access to several well-known cultural and tourist destinations in the region, including Bolpur–Shantiniketan, Nandikeshwari Temple, Tarapith, Patachitra Gram, Dhadika Forest, Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary and Rameshwar Kund.

In addition to passenger movement, the corridors play a critical role in transporting bulk commodities such as coal, stone, dolomite, cement, gypsum, iron and steel, foodgrains, petroleum products and container cargo.

Once completed, the projects are expected to enable additional freight handling of around 31 million tonnes annually.

By shifting freight to rail, the projects could reduce oil consumption by about 60 million litres and cut carbon emissions by nearly 280 million kilograms, an environmental benefit comparable to planting one crore trees.

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