CCEA nod to Mumbai-Indore rail line

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Monday approved a 309 km new line project providing the shortest rail connectivity between the two major commercial hubs of Mumbai and Indore, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The total cost of the project has been pegged at Rs 18,036 crore and it will be completed by 2028-29, the minister said. The project will generate direct employment for about 102 lakh man-days, or what Vaishnaw described as "human days", during the construction.

An official statement later said the new line between Indore and Manmad will provide direct connectivity and improve mobility ensuring enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. The project is a result of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity which has been possible through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods and services, it said.

"The project is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a new India which will make people of the region 'Atmanirbhar' by way of comprehensive development in the area which will enhance their employment/self-employment opportunities," the ministry said. "The project has been possible through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services," it added.

The project covers six districts in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 309 km. It will promote tourism in the region by providing a shorter route between western/southwestern parts of the country and central India. This will increase the tourist footfall to various tourist/religious places in the Ujjain–Indore region, including the Sri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple.

The project will provide direct connectivity to Pithampur Auto Cluster (which houses 90 large units and 700 small and medium industries) from the gateway port of JNPA and other state ports. It will also provide direct connectivity to the millet-producing districts of Madhya Pradesh and onion-producing districts of Maharashtra which will facilitate the distribution of the same to the northern and southern parts of the country.

This is an essential route, the statement said, for transportation of commodities such as agriculture products, fertiliser, containers, iron ore, steel, cement, petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL). 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 both 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 plantation of 5.5 crore trees," it said.

With this project, 30 new stations will be constructed, providing enhanced connectivity to the aspirational district of Barwani. The new line project will provide connectivity to approximately 1,000 villages and about 30 lakh population.