The Central Government has taken a big step towards strengthening the railway network in the country. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved two major railway projects costing ₹24,815 crore. Through these projects, about 601 kilometers of new railway lines will be laid in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, which will provide huge benefits to both passengers and business.
Rail network will extend to 601 kilometers
The government aims to complete these projects by 2030-31. After this, the network of Indian Railways will become stronger and the movement of trains will also become easier. These projects have been brought under the ‘PM Gati Shakti’ scheme, the objective of which is to provide faster and better connectivity.
UP gets big benefit from Ghaziabad-Sitapur project
The first project is to lay the third and fourth railway lines between Ghaziabad and Sitapur. Its total length is 403 kilometers and it will cost approximately ₹ 14,926 crore. This line will connect important cities like Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur and Sitapur.
Religious tourism will get a boost
This project will make access to major pilgrimage sites like Dudheshwarnath Temple, Garhmukteshwar Ganga Ghat and Naimisharanya easier. Besides, new stations will also be built to reduce congestion.
Port connectivity will be strengthened in Andhra Pradesh
The second project is to lay the third and fourth lines from Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu) to Visakhapatnam (Duvvada). Its length is 198 kilometers and cost is ₹9,889 crore.
Trade and logistics will benefit
With this project, it will be easier and cheaper to transport goods to major ports like Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Machilipatnam and Kakinada. This will boost business and industries will also benefit.
What will be the big benefits?
After the completion of both these projects, congestion on the railway lines will reduce and the speed of trains will increase. Due to faster movement of goods trains, logistics costs will reduce, due to which goods can reach the common people at cheaper rates. Apart from this, thousands of people will get employment during the construction works. These projects are also beneficial from environmental point of view. The government says that this will lead to a major reduction in carbon emissions, which can have an impact equivalent to planting crores of trees.
SK Sharma is a content writer who writes on news, entertainment, and lifestyle topics. She has over four years of experience and is known for conveying information in simple and clear language.
