PrepMaticCurrent affairs · September 2026
Cabinet approves three railway multitracking projects adding 656 km
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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved three Ministry of Railways projects on 9 September 2026. They cost ₹10,783 crore, will add about 656 km to the network across 14 districts in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and are planned for completion by 2029-30.
The three projects
| Project | Line added |
|---|---|
| Kharagpur to Jharsuguda (Bagdehi) | 4th line |
| Katni to Pendra Road | 4th line |
| Bilaspur (Uslapur) to Pendra Road | 3rd line |
What the government expects
The projects will improve connectivity to about 4,790 villages with a population of around 56 lakh. They sit on routes that carry coal, cement and iron and steel, and the added capacity should handle 27 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of extra freight. The release estimates a saving of about 12 crore litres of oil imports and about 62 crore kg of CO2 emissions, equal to planting about 2.48 crore trees.
The projects were planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which focuses on multi-modal connectivity and logistics efficiency through integrated planning. Better access to Bandhavgarh and Achanakmar Tiger Reserves is among the listed benefits.
On the same day the CCEA also approved a set of five projects in the south, covering Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. That decision is covered in Tamil Nadu railway multitracking approvals.
Why it matters for exams
Infrastructure approvals, the committee that cleared them and flagship plans such as PM-Gati Shakti come up in current affairs for TNPSC and in general awareness for banking exams. The TNPSC current affairs guide shows how to turn such releases into short notes.
Practice questions
Question 1
Which Cabinet committee approved the three railway multitracking projects on 9 September 2026?
- A. Cabinet Committee on Security
- B. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
- C. Cabinet Committee on Appointments
- D. Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs
Question 2
How much additional freight capacity will the three projects create?
- A. 12 MTPA
- B. 27 MTPA
- C. 47 MTPA
- D. 62 MTPA
Answers
- B. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved them.
- B. The projects add 27 MTPA of freight traffic. The 47 MTPA figure belongs to the five southern projects approved on the same day.
Source
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