The 97th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) was held on 24 July, 2025 to review five major infrastructure proposals from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the Ministry of Railways (MoR).

The session focused on enhancing multimodal connectivity and logistics integration under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan. The proposals included three from MoRTH and two from MoR, covering two brownfield and three greenfield projects. All were evaluated for their alignment with GatiShakti principles such as infrastructure integration, last-mile connectivity, and inter-agency coordination.

Among the road projects, the Dwarka Tunnel will be a six-lane underground connection between NH-8 and the Dwarka Expressway via the Shiv Murti interchange, aimed at decongesting NH-48 and offering an alternate route to IGI Airport. The Patna–Purnia Expressway spans 244.93 km and is designed to enhance connectivity across six districts, link Darbhanga and Purnia airports, and support rural, industrial, and defence logistics. The Suratgarh–Sri Ganganagar Highway widening will upgrade 75.55 km of NH-62 from two to four lanes, improving military and agricultural mobility in Rajasthan.

On the rail front, the Baddi–Ghanauli rail line, stretching 25.396 km, is set to improve logistics access in industrial regions of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. The 141.117 km Kanalus–Okha line will be doubled to boost passenger and freight movement, particularly in areas of religious, strategic, and port-related significance along Gujarat’s coastal corridor.