Cabinet approves Rs 20,804 crore railway projects across nine states

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved eight railway multitracking projects worth Rs 20,804 crore across nine states.The projects will cover around 1,196 km and are expected to improve rail connectivity, ease congestion on existing routes and facilitate faster movement of passengers and freight. They are targeted for completion by 2029-30.The government said the projects will “enhance connectivity, improve mobility and facilitate faster movement of goods and passengers”.What are the projects?Of the eight projects, five worth Rs 10,021 crore will cover 540 km across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.These include:Arakkonam–Renigunta: Third and fourth lines, 77 kmWhitefield–Bangarapet: Third and fourth lines, 47 kmHosur–Omalur: Doubling, 147 kmSalem–Karur–Dindigul: Doubling, 159 kmSecunderabad (Ghatkesar)–Kazipet: Multitracking, 110 kmThe remaining three projects, worth Rs 10,783 crore, will cover 656 km across West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.These include:Kharagpur–Jharsuguda (Bagdehi): Fourth lineKatni–Pendra Road: Fourth lineBilaspur…