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The Union Cabinet on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) approved five major infrastructure projects involving four railway lines and one four-lane highway at a total cost of Rs 13,041 crore, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

Among the approved projects is the four-lane Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonvarsha Highway, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 3,591 crore.

The railway projects cover important routes in West Bengal and Odisha.

Kharagpur-Bhadrak Rail Expansion

The Cabinet approved the construction of a third and fourth railway line along the 173-km Kharagpur-Bhadrak stretch at a cost of Rs 3,352 crore.

The project will include the construction of 41 major bridges and 169 minor bridges.

“The first project will build a third and fourth line on the 173-km stretch between Kharagpur and Bhadrak at a cost of Rs 3,352 crore, including the construction of 41 major and 169 minor bridges,” Vaishnaw said.

Fourth Line Between Bhadrak And Haridaspur

The government has also approved a fourth railway line along the 75-km Bhadrak-Haridaspur stretch at a cost of Rs 1,533 crore.

“The second project will build a fourth line on the 75-km stretch from Bhadrak to Haridaspur at a cost of Rs 1,533 crore,” Vaishnaw said.

Projects Expected To Ease Congestion

Vaishnaw said special rail-over-rail and rail flyovers have been implemented on the route to address train congestion and traffic congestion within Cuttack city.

He said, “Special rail-over-rail and rail flyovers have been implemented on this route to alleviate train congestion and traffic congestion within Cuttack city. This entire plan will save the country approximately Rs 433 crore in logistics costs each year and generate approximately 2.6 million jobs.”