New Delhi: On Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet had signed off on two multitracking railway projects with a combined outlay of 6,405 crore. The planned lines cross seven districts in Jharkhand, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh and are meant to lighten logistics expenses, speed up journeys, and shrink the carbon footprint of rail freight.
One component, often called the Koderma-Barkakana project, stretches 133 kilometres through the coal heartland of Jharkhand and carries a purse of 3,063 crores. Officials say the new track will cut the rail passage from Patna to Ranchi by several hours and open room for 30.4 million tonnes of cargo a year, freeing trucks from already congested highways.
The second scheme links Ballari in Karnataka with Chikjajur across Anantapur in Andhra. Spanning 185 kilometres, it has been priced at Rs. 3,342 crore and is expected to speed farm goods and steel to Mangalore Port while smoothing commuter services between two rapidly growing towns.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently pointed out that the Koderma-Barkakana project is not just a transport initiative; it is an environmental statement. He argued that bypassing the mountains of diesel now burned along that stretch could conserve 320 million litres each year, a saving matched only by the CO₂ that would otherwise fill the air. The greenhouse gas reduction, he quipped, is roughly the same as planting 70 million new trees. Beyond the ecological benefits, the project will suddenly connect nearly 1.5 million people in 938 villages to markets, hospitals, and schools that were previously seemingly distant. Regional businesses expect to feel the lift almost overnight.
On the Ballari-Chikjajur line, a simpler plan is equally ambitious: double the track and watch logistics costs tumble. The Minister echoed PM Modi’s assertion that the upgrade would integrate Karnataka ports into the national supply grid, thereby enhancing exporters’ ability to meet international deadlines. Studies from IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta already say rail renewals like the one under consideration have trimmed India’s overall logistics bill by around 4 per cent. While the amount may seem insignificant, it quickly accumulates in rupees.
Both schemes fit cleanly into the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which was drawn up to coordinate highways, ports, and air cargo rather than letting them operate in lonely silos. Government estimates claim these rail lines alone will slash crude-oil imports and spare the atmosphere some 101 crore kilograms of CO₂ every twelve months. In everyday terms, it’s as if four crore saplings have suddenly established themselves in Indian soil.
Taken together, the projects are less about metal rails and more about modernising economic arteries. By pushing forward under his third term, the Prime Minister is dangling a vision of faster travel, lower emissions, and, ultimately, a more buoyant country. If the plans stay on schedule, Jharkhand, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh will find themselves at the heart of the transformation.
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