Cabinet nod to ₹2,798-cr rail link project.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs recently approved the construction of Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road new rail line at an estimated cost of ₹2,798.16 crore.

An official statement said the total length of the new rail line will be 116.65 kilometres and the project is slated to be completed by 2026-27. It is estimated that the project will generate direct employment during construction of about 4 million mandays.

The rail line is expected to boost accessibility to Ambaji, an important pilgrimage destination which is among the 51 Shaktipeeths in India. The destination attracts devotees from Gujarat as well as other parts of the country and abroad every year. "The construction of this line will facilitate easy travel for these millions of devotees. Further, the devotees visiting the Ajitnath Jain temple (one of the 24 holy Jain Tirthankaras) at Taranga Hill would also be greatly benefitted by this connectivity," said the statement.

This line is also expected to facilitate faster movement of agri and local products, and also provide improved mobility to the people in the region within Gujarat and Rajasthan and also to other parts of the country. It will also provide an alternative route to the existing Ahmedabad-Abu Road rail line.

ET