Bhubaneswar: The Centre has approved two major railway multi-tracking projects in Odisha—the 75-km Bhadrak-Haridaspur fourth line and the 72-km Cuttack-Paradeep (Badabandha) third and fourth lines—as part of four railway projects worth around Rs 9,450 crore cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.
The four projects, spread across Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, will add around 410 km to the Indian Railways network and are aimed at increasing line capacity, easing congestion and improving the movement of passengers and freight.
The other two projects approved by the CCEA are the 173-km Kharagpur-Bhadrak (Ranital) fourth line, covering West Bengal and Odisha, and the 90-km Gummidipundi-Gudur third and fourth lines, covering Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The railway expansion is expected to strengthen connectivity in Odisha, particularly along important industrial and freight corridors. The Cuttack-Paradeep corridor is strategically important for the movement of commodities to and from the Paradeep region, while the Bhadrak-Haridaspur section will add capacity to an important railway route in the state.
According to the Centre, the increased line capacity will improve the operational efficiency and reliability of railway services. The multi-tracking projects are also expected to streamline train operations and reduce congestion on existing routes.
The projects have been planned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, with an emphasis on integrated planning, multimodal connectivity and improved logistics efficiency. The expanded rail network is expected to facilitate the smoother movement of people, goods and services.
The four projects will cover eight districts across the four states and are expected to benefit approximately 6,448 villages, with a combined population of nearly 60 lakh.
The projects are also expected to improve rail access to several tourist, religious and heritage destinations in Odisha and other states. These include Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhitarkanika National Park, Maa Bhadrakali Temple, Maa Dhamarai Temple, Panchalingeswar Temple, Talsari-Udaypur, Chandipur Beach, Gada Kujanga Jagannath Temple, Sarala Temple, Dhabaleswar Temple and Lalitgiri.
The railway projects will also facilitate the transportation of key commodities, including coal, iron ore, cement, iron and steel, containers, automobiles and foodgrains.
The Centre estimates that the capacity augmentation will enable an additional 76 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight traffic. The expansion is expected to support industries and improve the efficiency of the country’s logistics network.
The government has also highlighted the environmental benefits of the projects, saying that increased rail transportation will help reduce dependence on more energy-intensive modes of transport. The projects are expected to save around 13 crore litres of oil and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 65 crore kg, equivalent to the environmental benefit of planting around 2.6 crore trees.
The projects are in line with the Centre’s broader push to expand railway infrastructure, improve freight corridors and strengthen connectivity while supporting economic development across the regions covered by the new lines.
