Cabinet approves Ballari-Guntakal rail project to boost freight, passenger connectivity

The Union cabinet on Friday approved a Rs 1,264-crore railway project to add a third and fourth rail line on the Ballari-Guntakal section across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, aiming to ease congestion, improve freight movement and strengthen connectivity along a key economic corridor.The project was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and forms part of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to enhance multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency.Announcing the decision, Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Ballari-Guntakal section is a vital economic corridor connecting Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka."The Cabinet has taken two big decisions. First, approval has been given for the third and fourth line on the Ballari-Guntakal rail section, which falls on the important economic corridor between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.