PM, GatiShakti, NPG, Railway Project, Road

Chaired by Additional Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Rajeev Singh Thakur, it discussed seven projects of the Ministry of Railways (MoR) and one from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

The stakeholders discussed Wardha – Balharshah 4th Line, a 134.52 km Brownfield project that addresses critical congestion on the Delhi-Chennai High-Density Corridor passing through Wardha and Chandrapur districts in Maharashtra.

Itarsi – Nagpur Quadrupling was also discussed that involves the construction of a 4th rail line along the 297.05 km Itarsi-Nagpur corridor, a key segment of the High-Density Network Route. Connecting Narmada Puram, Betul, and Nagpur districts. It is anticipated to serve industrial hubs like Multi-Model International Passenger and Cargo Hub Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN), power plants at Sarni and Koradi, and emerging clusters in Pithampur.

Spanning approx 240 km, the Gondia – Balharshah Doubling project, through Gondia, Bhandara, Gadchiroli, and Chandrapur districts, is anticipated to support freight movement for key industrial regions. The route links major iron-ore mines in Kelzar and coalfields in Chandrapur, enabling smoother transport to industries in the South Central and South Eastern Railway zones. It is also expected to benefit power plants like Koradi and industries in Nagpur’s MIHAN SEZ.

The Aluabari – New Jalpaiguri Quadrupling, also known a 56.60 km project was also discussed that seeks to enhance rail connectivity in North Bengal and Bihar, linking New Jalpaiguri and Aluabari Road. The alignment includes robust infrastructure, such as 8 major and 91 minor bridges, designed for efficient and reliable operations in challenging terrain.

The 185 km Ballari – Chikjajur doubling project aims to connect Ballari, Chitradurga, and Anantapur districts, facilitating the movement of iron ore, coal, cement, and food grains.

Hosur – Omalur Doubling, the 147 km rail line doubling project aims to connect the agro-industrial region of Hosur with the commercial hub of Salem in Tamil Nadu; and Secunderabad – Wadi Quadrupling, a 173.18 km project aims to construct 3rd and 4th lines between Secunderabad and Wadi, a critical freight and passenger corridor in South Central India were also discussed at the meeting.

For MoRTH, the Imphal – Kakching – Lamkhai Road on NH-137A was discussed. This is a 44.517 km road improvement project that aims to connect Imphal, the state capital, with Kakching, an emerging agricultural and trade hub.