The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, on Wednesday, approved the doubling of the Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat single railway line section, spanning 177 km across Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, at a cost of approximately Rs 3,169 crore, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
The project aims to improve mobility, efficiency, and service reliability for Indian Railways, easing operations and reducing congestion on one of the busiest freight and passenger routes.
The project will also provide seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods, and services, covering five districts in three states and increasing the existing network of Indian Railways by about 177 km.
The project section provides rail connectivity to prominent destinations such as Deoghar (Baba Baidyanath Dham) and Tarapith (Shakti Peeth), attracting pilgrims and tourists from across the country.
As regards employment and economic benefits, the Minister said that the project is expected to enhance connectivity to approximately 441 villages and about 28.72 lakh population, including three Aspirational Districts (Banka, Godda, and Dumka), and generate additional freight traffic of 15 MTPA.
The Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat railway line is a crucial route for transportation of commodities such as coal, cement, fertilizers, bricks, and stones. The doubling of this line will not only boost economic activity but also contribute to achieving climate goals by reducing oil imports and lowering CO2 emissions. According to estimates, the project will reduce oil imports by 5 crore liters and lower CO2 emissions by 24 crore kg, equivalent to planting 1 crore trees.
The project aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of a New India, making people “Atmanirbhar” through comprehensive development and enhancing employment and self-employment opportunities. The project is planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, focusing on enhancing multi-modal connectivity and logistics efficiency.