Bengaluru: Union cabinet committee on economic affairs, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, Wednesday approved a crucial rail quadrupling project for Karnataka as part of PM-Gati Shakti national master plan.The 47km Whitefield-Bangarapet section will have four parallel lines by 2029-30, with the third and fourth lines now given the go-ahead by the Centre. The project was approved along with three other doubling projects and one more quadrupling project, all passing through south Indian states, at a combined cost of Rs 10,021 crore.Among these approved projects is the 147km Hosur-Omalur doubling, which is set to enhance traffic management southwards of Bengaluru towards Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala.The plan covers 17 districts across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, increasing the existing network of railways by about 540km.Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the expansion will improve connectivity to around 2,121 villages, which have a population of about 52 lakh. He added that these projects will improve rail connectivity to several prominent tourist destinations such as Tirupati, KGF, Hogenakkal Falls, Hosur Fort, Mettur Dam, Kodaikanal Hills and Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary.Once completed, the expansion could also benefit the transportation of commodities such as coal, cement, iron and steel, containers, automobiles, food grains, petroleum products and fertilisers. This capacity augmentation, the railway minister said, will aid additional freight traffic of 47 million tonnes per annum.
