PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan Approves ₹1,264 Crore Ballari-Guntakal Rail Expansion Project

Exam-focused facts from the 28 July 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The Union Cabinet approved the construction of a third and fourth railway line on the Ballari-Guntakal section under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
The project has an estimated cost of ₹1,264 crore and will add about 46 km to the existing railway network.
It covers three districts across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, improving connectivity to around 99 villages with a population of nearly seven lakh.
The capacity expansion will enable additional freight traffic of 16.22 million tonnes per annum.
The project is expected to reduce logistics costs, cut oil imports by 1.32 crore litres, and lower CO₂ emissions by 6.67 crore kg (equivalent to planting 0.27 crore trees).