The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved two Ministry of Railways multitracking projects on 15 July 2026: doubling of the Paradeep–Haridaspur line and construction of a fourth line on the Rajkharsawan–Dangoaposi route.
Project scope and cost
- Combined cost: ₹3,907 crore (sanctioned by CCEA).
- Added length: About 145 km across four districts in Odisha and Jharkhand.
- Implementing agency: Ministry of Railways; works sanctioned as capacity-augmentation projects.
Routes and timeline
- Paradeep–Haridaspur: Doubling; corridor entirely in Odisha; links to Paradeep port.
- Rajkharsawan–Dangoaposi: Fourth line; passes through Odisha and Jharkhand.
- Target completion: Financial year 2030–31.
Freight capacity and commodities
- Additional capacity: 44 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA).
- Primary commodities: Coal, iron ore, dolomite, limestone, gypsum—major bulk goods on these routes.
- Industrial linkages: Connects mineral-producing areas to ports and steel/consumption centres.
Connectivity and environment
- Local impact: Improved rail access for ~1,526 villages and about 14 lakh people.
- Tourist access: Better connectivity to Lalitgiri Buddhist Complex and Shree Baladevjew Temple.
- Transport emissions: Estimated annual savings of 6 crore litres of oil and 29 crore kg CO2 from modal shift to rail.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- CCEA: Cabinet body that sanctions major infrastructure and investment proposals.
- Doubling vs fourth line: Doubling = adding a second track; fourth line = addition of a fourth track on an existing multi-track corridor to increase throughput.
- MTPA: Unit = Million Tonnes Per Annum, used for annual freight capacity.