Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved the new railway line project under the Ministry of Railways at a cost of approximately Rs 18,036 crore. The proposed new rail line will provide direct connectivity between Indore and Manmad. <

This project is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a New India, which will make the people ‘self-reliant’ along with comprehensive development of the region. The project is an outcome of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, made possible through integrated planning, and will provide seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods, and services. The project will cover 6 districts of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, adding approximately 309 kilometers to the existing network of Indian Railways. 30 new stations will also be built along with the project, which will provide better connectivity to Barwani, the Aspirational district of Madhya Pradesh. The new railway line project will directly benefit about one thousand villages and a population of about 30 lakh.

Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the approval of this new railway line project which will give further impetus to the development of Madhya Pradesh.

The project will boost tourism in the region by providing a short route connecting the western south-western part of the country with Central India. It will increase the tourist influx at various tourist/religious places in the Ujjain-Indore region including Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple. The project will provide direct connectivity to Pithampur Auto Cluster (90 large units and 700 small and medium industries) to the Gateway port of JNPA and other state ports. The project will also provide direct connectivity to the millet-producing districts of Madhya Pradesh and onion-producing districts of Maharashtra, thereby facilitating its distribution in the northern and southern parts of the country.

It is an essential route for the transportation of agricultural products, fertilizers, containers, iron ore, steel, cement, and POL.

The capacity addition work will result in additional freight traffic of approximately 26 MTPA (million tonnes per annum). Railways are an environment-friendly and energy-efficient mode of transport, which will help in achieving climate goals and reducing the country's logistics costs, reducing oil imports (18 crore litres), and reducing CO2 emissions (138 crore kg) which is equivalent to planting 5.5 crore trees.