Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addresses a press conference in New Delhi on Monday (September 2, 2024).
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Union Cabinet has approved a 309-km rail line project between Mumbai and Indore at a total cost of ₹18,036 crore. The project is expected to be completed by 2028-29.
A spokesperson from Indian Railways said the project, apart from connecting commercial hubs Mumbai and Indore through the shortest rail route, would connect the unconnected areas of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh passing through two districts of Maharashtra and four Districts of Madhya Pradesh.
The proposed new line between Indore and Manmad would provide direct connectivity and improve mobility, the spokesperson said.
Under the project, 30 new stations would be constructed, providing enhancing connectivity to Barwani, an aspirational district. The project would provide connectivity to approximately 1,000 villages and about 30 lakh population.
The project would provide direct connectivity to Pithampur Auto Cluster (housing 90 large units and 700 small and medium industries) from gateway port of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and other State ports. “The project will also provide direct connectivity to millet producing districts of Madhya Pradesh and onion producing districts of Maharashtra which further facilitates in the distribution of the same to northern and southern parts of the country,” the spokesperson said.
This was also an essential route for transportation of commodities such as agriculture products, fertilizer, containers, iron ore, steel, cement etc. The capacity augmentation work would result in additional freight traffic of magnitude of about 26 million tonnes per annum.
This would increase the tourist footfall to various tourist and religious places of the Ujjain-Indore region including Sri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple.
The project was the result of PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, which had been possible through integrated planning and would provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services.
