New Delhi, Oct 24: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved two railway projects with an estimated cost of Rs 6,798 crore.

The projects will be completed in five years to provide connectivity, facilitate ease of travelling, minimise logistics costs, reduce oil imports, and lower CO2 emissions, said the CCEA, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The approved projects are the doubling of the Narkatiaganj-Raxaul-Sitamarhi-Darbhanga and Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur Sections covering 256 km, and the construction of a new line between Errupalem and Namburu via Amaravati covering 57 km. The projects will generate direct employment for about 106 lakh human-days.

Covering eight districts in three states -- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Bihar, the new rail projects will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 313 km.

"These will improve logistical efficiency connecting the unconnected areas, increase the existing line capacity and enhance transportation networks, resulting in streamlined supply chains and accelerated economic growth," according to the Cabinet.

The doubling of the Narkatiaganj-Raxaul-Sitamarhi-Darbhanga and Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur Sections will boost the connectivity to Nepal, northeast India and border areas, while facilitating the movement of passenger trains, along with goods trains, resulting in the socio-economic growth of the region. The multi-tracking project would enhance connectivity to two aspirational districts (Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur), serving 388 villages and about 9 lakh population.

"These are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as agriculture products, fertilizer, coal, iron ore, steel, cement, etc. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 31 MTPA (million tonnes per annum)," said the CCEA.

The Errupalem-Amaravati-Namburu rail line project traverses through NTR Vijayawada and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh and Khammam district of Telangana. The new line project will provide connectivity to 168 villages and nearly 12 lakh people with nine new stations. "The new line proposal will provide direct connectivity to Amaravati, the proposed Capital of Andhra Pradesh and improve mobility for industries and the population, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways," the Cabinet said.

--IANS

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