Cabinet okays Rs 2,192 crore project to double Bakhtiyarpur-Tilaiya rail line in Bihar

New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the doubling of the Bakhtiyarpur–Rajgir–Tilaiya single railway line section, stretching across a distance of 104 kms in Bihar with a total investment of Rs 2,192 crore.

The project covering four districts in Bihar will also provide rail connectivity to prominent destinations such as Rajgir (Shanti Stupa), Nalanda and Pawapuri attracting pilgrims and tourists from across the country. Multi-tracking projects will enhance connectivity to around 1,434 villages and about 13.46 lakh population and two aspirational districts of Gaya and Nawada, according to an official statement.

This is an essential route for transportation of commodities such as coal, cement, clinker and fly ash. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 26 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum).

The Railways, being environment-friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimising logistics cost of the country. Costly oil imports will come down by 5 crore litres which would also result in the saving of valuable foreign exchange.

Besides, CO2 emissions will be decline by 24 crore kgs which is equivalent to the plantation of as many as 1 crore trees, the statement said.

The enhanced line capacity will improve mobility, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. The multi-tracking proposal will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-required infrastructural development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways.

The projects are in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a New India which will make people of the region “Atmanirbhar” by way of comprehensive development in the area which will enhance their employment opportunities.

The project is planned on PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan with focus on enhancing multi-modal connectivity and logistic efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder consultations. These projects will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods, and services, the statement added.

--IANS

sps/na