Bhubaneswar: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the doubling of the Haridaspur-Paradip railway section in Odisha at a cost of Rs 2,542 crore.It also approved another multi-tracking rail project — the Rajkharsawan-Dangoaposi fourth line in Jharkhand, near the Odisha border — at an estimated cost of Rs 1,365 crore.“A major boost to connectivity and economic growth in Odisha and Jharkhand! The Cabinet has approved two important railway multi-tracking projects, the doubling of the Paradip-Haridaspur line and the fourth line between Rajkharsawan and Dangoaposi. These projects will further growth in Odisha and Jharkhand. They will expand the railway network, ease congestion and boost tourism,” Modi posted on X.CM Mohan Charan Majhi said the Union Cabinet’s approval of the Paradip-Haridaspur railway line doubling project marked another significant milestone in strengthening Odisha’s railway infrastructure, enhancing logistics efficiency and accelerating the state’s industrial and economic growth.He said the project would improve rail connectivity to Paradip Port, enhance freight movement, ease congestion and ensure more efficient transportation of people and goods. It would further reinforce Odisha’s role as a key logistics and industrial hub under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, creating new opportunities for growth and employment, he added.“On behalf of the people of Odisha, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Railway Minister for their continued support and commitment to strengthening Odisha’s railway infrastructure and accelerating the state’s development,” Majhi said.Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the existing single line on the Haridaspur-Paradip section was nearing saturation and the anticipated expansion of the port and other economic nodes would further strain line capacity. The line connects Paradip Port to the Howrah-Chennai main line at Haridaspur and further to the Talcher coalfields, iron ore mines and steel plants, he added.Vaishnaw said the doubling would facilitate faster movement of export-import and domestic freight across the hinterland. “It will cater to the growing logistics needs of existing and upcoming steel plants, including greenfield projects near Paradip,” he added.The two projects, covering four districts in Odisha and Jharkhand, will increase the existing Indian Railways network by about 145 km, the ministry of railways said.
