NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday approved the doubling of the Bhagalpur–Dumka–Rampurhat railway line, covering a distance of 177 km across Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. The project is estimated to cost approximately Rs 3,169 crore. “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 the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji’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,” stated the government press release.The line will connect five districts across three states, providing improved rail access to prominent religious and tourist destinations such as Deoghar (Baba Baidyanath Dham) and Tarapith (Shakti Peeth). Approximately 441 villages and 28.72 lakh people, including residents of three Aspirational Districts—Banka, Godda, and Dumka—will benefit from the project. From a freight perspective, the doubling of the line is expected to support an additional 15 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of cargo, including coal, cement, fertilizers, bricks, and stones. The Railways’ environmentally friendly transport mode is projected to help reduce oil imports by five crore litres and cut CO2 emissions by 24 crore kg, equivalent to the plantation of one crore trees. Officials emphasized that the project would not only enhance mobility and connectivity but also strengthen the economic and cultural significance of the region.In another infrastructural development, the Cabinet also approved the construction of a 4-lane greenfield, access-controlled Mokama–Munger section of the Buxar–Bhagalpur High-Speed Corridor in Bihar under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), covering 82.4 km with a total capital cost of Rs 4,447.38 crore.
