Cabinet Approves Rs 24,815 Cr Railway Expansion in UP & Andhra Pradesh

According to an offical release, these projects include Ghaziabad - Sitapur 3rd and 4th Line, with a route length of 403 km and a track length of 859 km and the estimated cost of this line is Rs14,926 crore (approx.) and the Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu) - Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) 3rd and 4th Line, with route and track lengths of 198 km and 458 km, respectively and the estimated cost is Rs 9,889 crore (approx.).

The increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. These multi-tracking proposals are poised to streamline operations and alleviate congestion. The projects are in line with the Prime Minister Narendra 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.

The projects are planned on the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan with a focus on enhancing multi-modal connectivity & logistic efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder consultations. These projects will provide seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods, and services, the release noted.

The two projects covering 15 Districts across the states of Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 601 Kms.

The proposed capacity enhancement will improve rail connectivity to several prominent tourist destinations across the country, including Dudheshwarnath Temple, Garhmukteshwar Ganga Ghat, Dargah Shah Wilayat Jama Masjid (Amroha), Naimisharanya (Sitapur), Annavaram, Antarvedi, Draksharamam, etc.

The proposed projects are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as coal, foodgrains, cement, POL, iron and steel, containers, fertilisers, sugar, chemical salts, limestone, etc. The Railways, being environment friendly and energy-efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimising logistics cost of the country, lowering CO2 emissions (180.31 Crore kg), which is equivalent to the plantation of 7.33 Crore trees, according to the release.

The Ghaziabad - Sitapur is an existing double-line section forming a key part of the Delhi- Guwahati High Density Network (HDN 4). This project is crucial for improving connectivity between the Northern and Eastern regions of the country. The existing line capacity utilisation of the section is up to 168% and is projected to be up to 207% in case the project is not taken up. The line traverses through Ghaziabad, Hapur, Amroha, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Sahjahanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur districts of Uttar Pradesh.

The project route passes through major industrial centres - Ghaziabad (machinery, electronics, pharmaceuticals), Moradabad (brassware and handicrafts), Bareilly (furniture, textiles, engineering), Shahjahanpur (carpets and cement-related industries), and Roza (thermal power plant). For seamless transportation, the project alignment is planned to bypass congested stations of Hapur, Simbhaoli, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, and Sitapur, and accordingly, six new stations are proposed on the bypassing sections. Key tourist/religious places along/near the project section are Dudheshwarnath Temple, Garhmukteshwar Ganga Ghat, Dargah Shah Wilayat Jama Masjid (Amroha), and Naimisharanya (Sitapur), among others.

Anticipated additional freight traffic is 35.72 MTPA, consisting of Coal, Foodgrains, Chemical Manures, Finished Steel, etc and employment generation scope of 274 lakh human-days. Meanwhile, the CO2 emissions of about 128.77 crore kg will be saved while logistic cost till Rs. 2,877.46 crore will be saved every year vis-a-vis road transportation, the release highlighted.

On the other hand, the Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu) - Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) section forms part of the Howrah - Chennai High Density Network (HDN).

The proposed project is part of the quadrupling initiative of the Howrah-Chennai High-Density Network (HDN) route. The project traverses through East Godavari, Konaseema, Kakinada, Anakapalle and Vishakapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh. Visakhapatnam is identified as an Aspirational District in the Aspirational Districts Programme. It provides connectivity to major ports along the East Coast such as Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Machilipatnam and Kakinada.

The project route runs along the eastern coastline and is among the busiest, predominantly freight-oriented sections of the East Coast Rail Corridor. The line capacity utilisation of the section has already reached up to 130%, leading to frequent congestion and operational delays. The line capacity is expected to increase further due to the proposed expansion of ports and industries in the region. The project section includes a 4.3 km rail bridge over the Godavari River, 2.67 km viaduct, 3 bypasses and the new alignment is around 8 km shorter than the existing route, improving connectivity and operational efficiency.

The proposed section will also boost tourism by improving access to key destinations such as Annavaram, Antarvedi and Draksharamam, etc. Additional freight traffic of 29.04 MTPA consisting of Coal, Cement, Chemical Manures, Iron and Steel, Foodgrains, Containers, Bauxite, Gypsum, Limestone, etc is anticipated, while employment generation is expected up to 135 lakh human-days. CO2 emissions of about 51.49 crore kg CO2 equivalent to 2.06 Cr trees and logistic cost of Rs. 1,150.56 crore every year vis-a-vis road transportation, will be saved, the release emphasised. ( ANI)

- ANI