Cabinet approves THESE three mega railways projects, including Prayagraj–Manikpur line

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said three big projects of Railways have been approved in the Cabinet meeting held today. Manmad-Jalgaon 4th line - 160 km route, it will save 8 crore litre diesel every year. To improve connectivity, the Cabinet sanctioned three multitracking railway projects at a combined cost of Rs 7,927 crore, he added.

The second project is Bhusawal to Khandwa - both the 3rd and 4th line, he said, adding It will increase the capacity between Purvanchal and Mumbai. It's a project estimated to be around rs 8,000 crore and It will generate employment and will help the farmers and small industries, the Railways Minister said. It is pertinent to note that the three projects covering seven districts in three States i.e., Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 639 Kms. "The proposed multi-tracking projects will enhance connectivity to Two Aspirational Districts (Khandwa and Chitrakoot) serving approx. 1,319 villages and about 38 lakh population," the officials stated.

The projects are:

Jalgaon – Manmad 4th line (160 km)
Bhusawal – Khandwa 3rd & 4th line (131 km)
Prayagraj (Iradatganj) – Manikpur 3rd Line (84 km)

The projects are in line with PM Modiji’s vision of a new India which will make people of the region “Atmanirbhar” by way of comprehensive development in the area which will enhance their employment/ self-employment opportunities, a statement released by the government read.

Multi-modal connectivity under PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan

The projects are result of PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity which have been possible through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services.

"The proposed projects will enhance connectivity along the Mumbai–Prayagraj–Varanasi route by enabling the operation of additional passenger trains, benefiting pilgrims traveling to Jyotirlingas in Nashik (Trimbakeshwar), Khandwa (Omkareshwar), and Varanasi (Kashi Vishwanath), as well as religious places in Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, Gaya, and Shirdi. Additionally, the projects will promote tourism through improved access to various attractions such as Khajuraho UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ajanta & Ellora Caves UNESCO World Heritage Site, Devgiri Fort, Asirgarh Fort, Rewa Fort, Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Keoti Falls, and Purwa Falls etc," it added.

These are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as agriculture products, fertilizer, coal, steel, cement, containers etc, the government said. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 51 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum). The Railways being environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimizing logistics cost of the country, lower CO2 emissions (271 crore Kg) which is equivalent to plantation of 11 crore trees.

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