Indian Railways to Add 3rd and 4th Lines on Ghaziabad-Sitapur and Rajahmundry-Visakhapatnam Routes
New Delhi, April 18, 2026 — In a major push to modernize infrastructure and eliminate railway network bottlenecks, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved two massive railway multi-tracking projects.
Spanning 15 districts across Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, the newly approved projects are estimated to cost ₹24,815 crore and will add approximately 601 route kilometers to the existing Indian Railways network. The entire expansion is slated for completion by the fiscal year 2030-31.
Tackling High-Density Congestion
The two approved corridors are critical arteries for both passenger mobility and heavy freight transportation. Both sections are currently operating well beyond their designated capacities, leading to severe congestion and transit delays.
1. Ghaziabad – Sitapur 3rd and 4th Line (Uttar Pradesh): This 403-kilometer stretch forms a vital segment of the Delhi-Guwahati High-Density Network. Currently, the line capacity utilization stands at a staggering 168% and was projected to cross 207% without intervention.
To ensure seamless transportation, the new alignment is specifically designed to bypass heavily congested stations like Hapur, Moradabad, Bareilly, and Shahjahanpur. Six new stations will be built along these bypasses. The project, costing approximately ₹14,926 crore, traverses major industrial hubs and will significantly boost the movement of coal, food grains, and fertilizers.
2. Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu) – Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) 3rd and 4th Line (Andhra Pradesh): Costing around ₹9,889 crore, this 198-kilometer project will effectively quadruple a crucial section of the Howrah-Chennai High-Density Network route. It directly connects major eastern seaboard ports, including Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Machilipatnam, and Kakinada.
With current capacity utilization at 130%, the expansion—which features a 4.3 km rail bridge over the Godavari River and multiple bypasses—will shrink the travel distance by 8 kilometers, drastically improving operational efficiency for port-bound freight.
PM Gati Shakti and Environmental Impact
The extensive capacity enhancements have been planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, focusing on integrated multi-modal connectivity and slashing logistics costs. The Ministry of Railways estimates that these two projects will generate over 409 lakh human-days of employment during the construction phase.
Furthermore, the shift of heavy freight from road networks to the more energy-efficient railway tracks is expected to save ₹4,028 crore annually in logistics costs. Environmentally, the projects will drastically lower carbon footprints, cutting CO2 emissions by over 180 crore kilograms—an environmental benefit equivalent to planting more than 7.33 crore trees.
Beyond freight and industrial growth, the expanded lines will significantly improve passenger access to prominent tourist and pilgrimage destinations such as the Dudheshwarnath Temple, Garhmukteshwar Ganga Ghat, Naimisharanya in UP, and Annavaram and Draksharamam in Andhra Pradesh.
