The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved two multi-tracking railway projects worth Rs 24,815 crore covering Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, aimed at decongesting and boosting freight and passenger movement, a government release said.Two projects – Ghaziabad-Sitapur 3rd and 4th lines, and Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu) – Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) 3rd and 4th lines – are targeted to be completed by 2030-31. Together, they will add approximately 601 km to the Indian Railways network.“The increased line capacity will significantly increase mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability of Indian Railways,” the release said.The projects, planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, will cover 15 districts in both the states and will strive to improve multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency.The Ghaziabad-Sitapur project spans 403 km, with a track length of 859 km and an estimated cost of Rs 14,926 crore. It passes through major districts including Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur and Sitapur. Six new stations are proposed on bypass sections to reduce busy nodes.The Rajahmundry-Visakhapatnam project covers 198 km with a track length of 458 km at a cost of Rs 9,889 crore. This will improve connectivity with ports like Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Machilipatnam and Kakinada.The government said the projects will improve accessibility to tourist destinations including Dudheshwarnath Temple, Garhmukteshwar Ganga Ghat, Naimisharanya, Annavaram, Antarvedi and Draksharamam.It said both projects are expected to reduce logistics costs, generate employment and reduce carbon emissions by 180.31 crore kg – equivalent to planting 7.33 crore trees.
