"Cabinet Greenlights ₹18,000-Crore Rail Line Linking Indore and Manmad"

The Union Cabinet approved a major infrastructure project, sanctioning an investment of over ₹18,000 crore for a new 309-km rail line connecting Indore and Manmad. This new route will not only link the key commercial hubs of Mumbai and Indore but also provide the shortest rail connection between these cities.

The rail line will traverse through six districts—Nashik and Dhule in Maharashtra, and Barwani, Khargone, Dhar, and Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Scheduled for completion within seven to eight years, the project aims to enhance connectivity, efficiency, and service reliability for Indian Railways.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that this initiative is part of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, designed to integrate multi-modal connectivity. The new rail line will streamline the movement of people, goods, and services, and bolster direct links from the JNPA port and other ports to Pithampur Auto Cluster, which houses numerous industries.

In addition to improving logistical efficiency, the project will feature the construction of 30 new stations, 21 km of tunnels, and seven large bridges. It is expected to significantly benefit the transportation of agricultural products, fertilizers, containers, iron ore, steel, cement, and petroleum products.

Vaishnaw also noted that the new rail link will foster tourism by reducing travel time between Western and Central India and boosting access to religious sites like the Sri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple in Ujjain. The project is projected to increase freight capacity by 26 million tonnes annually, reduce oil imports by 18 crore litres, and cut CO2 emissions by 138 crore kilograms.

HBL