New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a new railway line project under the Ministry of Railways with a total cost of Rs.18,036 crore.
The proposed new line between Indore and Manmad will provide direct connectivity and improve mobility, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian railways. The project is in line with the Prime Minister’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/ self-employment opportunities.
The project is result of PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity which have been possible through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services.
The project covers half a dozen districts in two States - Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 309 Kms.
With this project, 30 new stations will be constructed, providing enhanced connectivity to aspirational district Barwani. New line project will provide connectivity to approximately 1,000 villages and about 30 lakh population.
Project will promote tourism in the region by providing shorter routes between Western and South-Western part of the country with central India. This will increase the tourist footfall to various tourist and religious places of Ujjain – Indore region including Sri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple.
Project will provide direct connectivity to Pithampur Auto Cluster housing 90 large units and 700 small and medium industries from the gateway port of JNPA and other state ports. Project will also provide direct connectivity to millet producing districts of Madhya Pradesh and onion producing districts of Maharashtra which further facilitates in the distribution of the same to northern and southern parts of the country.
This is an essential route for transportation of commodities such as agriculture products, fertilizer, containers, iron ore, steel, cement, POL etc. The capacity augmentation work will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude of about 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 minimizing logistics cost of the country, reduce oil import (18 Crore Litres) and lower CO2 emissions (138 Crore Kg) which is equivalent to plantation of 5.5 crore trees.
