Cabinet approves Rs 18,036 cr railway line connecting Manmad and Indore

309-km rail line will give connectivity for 3 million people, add 26 MT freight

The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Monday approved a new 309-kilometre railway line between Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh worth Rs 18036 crore, which will connect Manmad and Indore.

Speaking at a press conference, Union Minister for Railways, Electronics and Information Technology, and Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said the project had a “strategic importance” and was in the works for a long time.

“The line will allow Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and agricultural districts of Maharashtra connectivity with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA),” he said.

The project has been planned with social and industrial needs in accordance with the Pradhan Mantri GatiShakti framework. It will promote tourism in the region by providing a shorter route between the Western/South-Western part of the country with Central India, according to an official statement. 

 

This will increase the tourist footfall to various tourist/religious places of Ujjain–Indore region, including Sri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple.

“Project will provide direct connectivity to Pithampur Auto Cluster (houses 90 large units and 700 small and medium industries) from gateway port of JNPA and other state ports,” the statement said.

“Project will also provide direct connectivity to millet-producing districts of Madhya Pradesh and Onion producing districts of Maharashtra which further facilitates in the distribution of the same to northern and southern parts of the country,” it said.

The project will create 10.2 million man-days of employment, Vaishnaw said.

The railway line, a key electoral demand during the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, covers six districts and will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 309 kms, said Vaishnaw.

The construction of the project will entail 30 new stations, providing enhanced connectivity to the aspirational district Barwani. 

The new line is estimated to provide connectivity to approximately 1,000 villages and about 3 million people.

So far, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government elected in June has sanctioned infrastructure projects worth Rs 2.5 trillion in the first 85 days of coming to power, the minister said.

According to the Centre, this is an essential route for the transportation of commodities such as agricultural products, fertilisers, containers, iron ore, steel, cement, and POL, among others. 

The capacity augmentation work will result in additional freight traffic of a magnitude of about 26 MTPA (million tonnes per annum). The railways, being environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help in achieving climate goals and minimising logistics cost of the country, reduce oil import (18 crore litres), and lower CO2 emissions (138 crore kg), which is equivalent to a plantation of 5.5 crore trees, according to the statement.