19 August,2026 08:10 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
The projects aim to decongest the saturated Howrah–Chennai HDN corridor. Representational pic
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved five major infrastructure projects worth a total of Rs 13,041 crore, focusing on capacity enhancement of the critical Howrah-Chennai High Density Network (HDN) railway corridor and a four-lane highway in Bihar.
The decisions include four multitracking railway projects on the Howrah-Chennai route and the development of the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa four-lane highway.
The Cabinet approved the following railway projects:
Kharagpur - Bhadrak (Ranital) 4th Line (173 km, Rs 3,352 crore)
Stretching across Paschim Medinipur in West Bengal and Baleswar and Bhadrak in Odisha, the project will be completed in four years. It includes two mega bridges on the Subarnarekha River (564 m), 41 major, and 169 minor bridges. The line will link steel hubs at Jakhapura, Tatanagar, and Durgapur with Paradip and Dhamra ports. It is expected to handle an additional 13 million tonnes of freight per annum, generate 59 lakh human-days of employment, save logistics costs of Rs 466 crore annually, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20.86 crore kg every year (equivalent to planting about 83 lakh trees).
Bhadrak - Haridaspur 4th Line (75 km, Rs 1,583 crore)
Located entirely in Odisha (Bhadrak and Jajpur districts), the four-year project will feature two mega bridges on the Baitarani (686 m) and Brahmani (1,325 m) rivers, along with 18 major and 106 minor bridges. It will serve as a key steel corridor connecting Tata Nagar/Durgapur and Jakhapura with Dhamra, Paradip, and the upcoming Subarnarekha Port, and facilitate Rail-Sea-Rail coal movement. Additional freight traffic is projected at 29 million tonnes per annum, with logistics savings of Rs 433 crore annually and employment of 26 lakh human-days.
Gummidipundi - Gudur 3rd and 4th Line (90 km, Rs 2,229 crore)
Covering Tiruvallur (Tamil Nadu) and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), the project forms part of both the Delhi-Chennai and Howrah-Chennai HDN routes as well as the Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor. It includes one mega bridge on the Swarnamukhi River (360 m), 21 major, and 127 minor bridges, and 34 railway overbridges (ROB) and road underbridges (RUB). The section is expected to add 21.24 million tonnes of freight traffic annually, save Rs 382.15 crore in logistics costs, generate 61 lakh human-days of employment, and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 17.10 crore kg yearly.
Cuttack - Paradeep (Badabandha) 3rd and 4th Line (72 km, Rs 2,286 crore)
Situated in Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha, the four-year project will create a continuous four-line route between Jharsuguda and Paradeep Port. It includes one viaduct, eight major bridges, 219 minor bridges, and 12 ROB/RUBs. The line will support movement of raw materials for steel plants and coal for rail-sea-rail operations, adding 12 million tonnes of freight annually, saving Rs 172.97 crore in logistics costs, and generating 49 lakh human-days of employment.
These projects aim to decongest the saturated Howrah-Chennai HDN corridor, improve freight movement of coal, iron ore, steel, cement and containers, and enhance connectivity to major ports, industrial hubs, and tourist/religious destinations.
The Cabinet also approved the development of the 4-lane Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa Corridor (NH-22) in Bihar at a cost of Rs 3,591 crore under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).
The 83-km brownfield project, covering Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi districts, will have a construction period of 30 months. It includes seven major bridges (including a 340-m bridge across the Bagmati River), three ROBs, and six vehicular underpasses.
The upgraded highway is expected to reduce travel time between Muzaffarpur and Sonbarsa from two hours to one hour, decongest the existing road, improve access to religious sites such as Baba Garibnath Temple and Punaura Dham, and connect multiple PM Gati Shakti economic, social, and logistics nodes.
