The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved four major railway multitracking projects worth Rs 18,658 crore, spanning Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. Together, the projects will upgrade around 1,247 km of rail network, aiming to reduce logistics costs, increase freight capacity, and support regional industrial growth.

The largest share of the investment, Rs 8,741 crore has been allocated to Chhattisgarh for the construction of a 615 km new railway line from Kharsia to Naya Raipur to Parmalkasa. The new line will offer direct access to areas such as Baloda Bazar, enabling the setup of new industrial units, including cement plants.

In Maharashtra, Rs 4,819 crore has been sanctioned for doubling the Gondia-Balharshah route. Odisha will receive Rs 3,917 crore for a 277 km project to build third and fourth lines between Sambalpur and Jarapada. The fourth project, also in Odisha, involves the addition of third and fourth lines on the Jharsuguda–Sason section. The combined efforts will generate an estimated 379 lakh human-days of direct employment during the construction phase.

Additionally, the development includes the construction of 19 new stations, improving access for approx.3,350 villages and benefiting 47.25 lakh people. The upgraded infrastructure is set to handle an additional 88.77 million tonne of freight annually. The environmental impact is also significant, with reductions in oil imports by 95 crore litres and CO2 emissions by 477 crore kg, equivalent to planting 19 crore trees.