The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs cleared three railway projects on Wednesday, one in Assam and two in Uttar Pradesh, with total investment of over ₹6,000 crore.

These include doubling of the line from New Bongaigaon to Agthori via Rangiya (142.97 km) of North-East Frontier Railway in Assam with an estimated cost of ₹2042.51 crore, according to a press statement. The project will be completed by 2022-23 and will be executed by the Construction Organisation of North-East Frontier Railway.

The doubling of the line was needed to remove capacity constraints of the existing network and to handle the increasing freight and passenger traffic to bring down congestion, said Railways Minister Piyush Goyal at a press conference on Wednesday. The project will also generate direct employment during construction for about 34.31 lakh mandays.

The CCEA also approved construction of a third railway line between Allahabad-Mughalsarai (now Pt. DeenDayal Upadhyaya Jn.) with an estimated cost of ₹2,649.44 crore. The project will be completed by 2023-24 and will be executed by Construction Organization of North Central, the release said.

“This project will enhance capacity, reduce detention and cater for future growth of traffic. It will also ease traffic congestion at Chheoki, Naini and improve the punctuality of goods and passenger trains on vital route connecting the National Capital,” it stated.

The third project approved was the construction of a 81.17-km long new railway line between Sahjanwa and Dohrighat, at an estimated cost of ₹1,319.75 crore, which will provide an alternate route avoiding Gorakhpur. The project will also generate direct employment during construction for about 19.48 lakh mandays, the release added.

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