PM Gati Shakti Plan: ₹4,474 crore multitracking projects approved for West Bengal and Jharkhand

Key facts

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved two railway multitracking projects worth ₹4,474 crore.
• The projects will add fourth lines on the Sainthia–Pakur and Santragachi–Kharagpur routes, adding about 192 km across West Bengal and Jharkhand.
• Proposed by the Ministry of Railways (MoR), the works are scheduled for completion by 2030–31 under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
• The expansion will benefit around 5,652 villages with a combined population of nearly 1.47 crore people.
• Freight movement is expected to rise by about 31 million tonnes annually, saving an estimated six crore litres of oil and cutting carbon emissions by nearly 28 crore kg.
• Tourist spots gaining better rail access include Bolpur-Shantiniketan, Nandikeshwari Temple, Tarapith, Patachitra Gram, Dhadika Forest, Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary, and Rameshwar Kund.