Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that two new railway projects will improve connectivity, commerce and also boost sustainability. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Modi, has approved two multi-tracking projects across the Indian Railways network, entailing an investment of six thousand 405 crore rupees.

The first project relates to the doubling of the 133 km Koderma-Barkakana railway line, which passes through a major coal-producing area of Jharkhand. The second project involves doubling of the 185 km Ballari-Chikjajur railway line, which traverses through Ballari and Chitradurga districts of Karnataka and Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. The two projects covering seven districts across the states of Jharkhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 318 km and are expected to generate direct employment for about 108 lakh human-days during construction. The projects are the result of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, which has been made possible through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods and services.