New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a set of highway and railway expansion projects worth ₹8,313 crore, aimed at strengthening connectivity and freight capacity in Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Jharkhand. The Cabinet also cleared a proposal to declare Madurai Airport in Tamil Nadu as an international airport.
Highway Expansion in Madhya Pradesh
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Cabinet has approved the development of a four lane highway corridor from Badnawar to the Timarwani section of NH-752D, covering around 80.4 km in Madhya Pradesh. The project will be implemented at an estimated cost of ₹3,839 crore.
The corridor will connect Ujjain with the Timrawani interchange of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, reducing travel time by nearly an hour. Officials said the upgraded route will serve as the shortest connection for vehicles travelling from Gujarat and Maharashtra to Ujjain and will help manage the expected surge in traffic during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela scheduled for April 2028.
Two Railway Multi-Tracking Projects Approved
The Cabinet also approved two railway projects involving additional track construction. These include the fourth line between Sainthia and Pakur and the Santragachi–Kharagpur section, spanning districts in West Bengal and Jharkhand.
The projects will expand the railway network by about 192 kilometres, significantly improving operational capacity on these busy routes.
Boost for Freight Transportation
According to an official statement, the rail lines are key corridors for transporting bulk commodities such as coal, stone, dolomite, cement, slag, gypsum, iron and steel, foodgrains, petroleum products and containers.
The capacity augmentation is expected to enable an additional 31 million tonnes of freight traffic annually, improving logistics efficiency and supporting industrial supply chains in the region.