NEW DELHI — The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has cleared two major railway multitracking projects worth ₹4,474 crore to boost infrastructure across West Bengal and Jharkhand.

The plan involves constructing a fourth railway line on the Sainthia–Pakur and Santragachi–Kharagpur sections. Spanning five districts, the 192-km expansion is slated for completion by 2030–31.

Project Impact & Benefits:

• Capacity Boost: Designed to handle an additional 31 million tonnes of freight per annum, including coal, steel, and foodgrains.
• Rural Reach: Set to benefit approximately 14.7 million people across 5,652 villages.
• Environmental Gains: Estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by 280 million kg and cut oil imports by 60 million litres through improved logistics efficiency.
• Strategic Alignment: Planned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to lower logistics costs and ease network congestion.

This infrastructure push is expected to significantly enhance service reliability and multimodal connectivity in one of India’s most critical industrial corridors.