Cabinet approval for major rail expansion
The Union Cabinet has approved a plan to upgrade the key Chennai–Howrah railway corridor into a four-line route, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
Package of rail and highway projects
Vaishnaw said the Cabinet discussed five projects—four related to railways and one to highways. Along with the Chennai–Howrah corridor, another rail project will add third and fourth lines on the Cuttack–Paradip route, effectively converting it into a four-line section.
Total outlay and expected benefits
The Cabinet cleared the set of projects at an estimated cost of Rs 13,041 crore. The minister said expanding the Chennai–Howrah corridor—one of the country’s key railway routes—would allow more trains to run, improve freight movement, and make maintenance easier.
Gummidipoondi–Gudur project and jobs
A four-line upgrade has also been approved for the 90-km Gummidipoondi–Gudur section on the Andhra Pradesh–Tamil Nadu border, where industries such as machinery, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and electronics components are growing. The project, estimated at Rs 2,229 crore, includes a 360-metre mega bridge across the Swarnamukhi river and is expected to generate employment for 61 lakh people, he said.
