CCEA Approves ₹20,804 Crore Rail Projects to Boost Capacity Across 9 States

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved major railway infrastructure projects with a total estimated cost of ₹20,804 crore. The initiative aims to modernize existing lines, increase freight handling capacity, and significantly reduce operational congestion across critical transport corridors in India.

Railway expansion is a core priority under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity. The proposal addresses long-standing bottlenecks in heavy industrial and freight routes, aligning with India's broader National Rail Plan, which targets increasing the rail modal share in freight transportation from 27% to 45% by 2030.

The approved expansion spans 31 key districts across nine states, namely West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. The project includes track doubling, multi-tracking, and route electrification, which will generate millions of human-days of employment during execution while enhancing overall network speed.

For competitive exams, this story directly links to Economy and Infrastructure under UPSC Mains General Studies Paper III. In Prelims and SSC exams, direct MCQs can target PM Gati Shakti components, CCEA approval mechanisms, and specific state coverage under national freight corridor initiatives.