Cabinet approves R 3,169 crore doubling project of Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat single railway line section

New Delhi [India], September 11 (ANI): In a major boost to infrastructure and connectivity, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved two key development projects in Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, the doubling of the Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat railway line and the construction of a 4-lane greenfield highway between Mokama and Munger.
These projects aim to enhance transportation, stimulate local economies, and generate new job opportunities throughout the region.
In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "In line with the vision of a self-reliant and developed India, we are committed to expanding rail services across the country. In this direction, approval has been granted for the doubling of the Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat rail line. This will make life much easier for the people of Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal."

आत्मनिर्भर और विकसित भारत के विजन के अनुरूप हम देशभर में रेल सेवाओं के विस्तार के लिए संकल्पबद्ध हैं। इसी दिशा में भागलपुर–दुमका–रामपुरहाट रेल लाइन के दोहरीकरण को मंजूरी दी गई है। इससे बिहार, झारखंड और पश्चिम बंगाल के लोगों का जीवन बहुत आसान होने वाला है।…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 10, 2025

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the doubling of the Bhagalpur - Dumka - Rampurhat single railway line Section (177 km) in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal with a total cost of Rs 3,169 crore (approx.).
The enhanced line capacity will improve mobility, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. The multi-tracking proposal will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-needed infrastructural development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways.

The projects are in line with the PM Modi's vision of a New India which will make people of the region "Atmanirbhar" by way of comprehensive development in the area which will enhance their employment/ self-employment opportunities.
The projects are planned on the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan with a focus on enhancing multi-modal connectivity & logistic efficiency through integrated planning and stakeholder consultations. These projects will provide seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods, and services.
The project covering five Districts in three states i.e. Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 177 Kms.
The project section also provides rail connectivity to prominent destinations, such as Deoghar (Baba Baidyanath Dham) and Tarapith (Shakti Peeth), attracting pilgrims and tourists from across the country.
Multi-tracking projects will enhance connectivity to approximately. 441 villages and about 28.72 lakh population, and three Aspirational Districts (Banka, Godda and Dumka).
This is an essential route for transportation of commodities such as coal, cement, fertilisers, bricks and stones, etc. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 15 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum). The Railways, being an environmentally friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimising logistics cost of the country, reduce oil import (5 Crore Litres) and lower CO2 emissions (24 Crore Kg), which is equivalent to the plantation of 1 (One) Crore trees.
"We are committed to further accelerating the state's economic development with the expansion of connectivity in Bihar. In line with this, today our government has approved the Mokama-Munger 4-lane greenfield section. This will save travel time, as well as create new opportunities for employment and business," in another post on X, PM Modi wrote.

बिहार में कनेक्टिविटी के विस्तार के साथ राज्य के आर्थिक विकास को और गति देने के लिए हम प्रतिबद्ध हैं। इसी कड़ी में आज हमारी सरकार ने मोकामा-मुंगेर 4-लेन ग्रीनफील्ड सेक्शन को मंजूरी दी है। इससे यात्रा का समय बचेगा, साथ ही रोजगार-कारोबार के नए अवसर बनेंगे।https://t.co/dSxOAJAzMT

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 10, 2025

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has also approved the Construction ofa 4-lane greenfield access-controlled Mokama-Munger section of the Buxar-Bhagalpur High-Speed Corridor, Bihar, on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) with a total project length of 82.400 km and a Total Capital Cost of Rs 4,447.38 crore.
The section passes through or provides connectivity to important regional cities such as Mokama, Barahiya, Lakhisarai, Jamalpur, Munger, connecting to Bhagalpur, as indicated in the map at Annexure-I.
The Munger-Jamalpur-Bhagalpur belt in Eastern Bihar is emerging as a key industrial region focusing on an ordinance factory (Existing gun factory and 1 more proposed as part of Ordnance Factory Corridor by M/o Defence) a locomotive workshop (in Jamalpur), food processing (e.g., ITC in Munger) and related logistics & warehousing hubs. Bhagalpur stands out as a textile and logistics hub, led by Bhagalpuri silk (details of the proposed textile ecosystem in Bhagalpur. Barahiya is emerging as a region for food packaging, processing and agro-warehousing. The increased economic activity in the region is expected to drive up the freight movement and the traffic on the Mokama-Munger section in the future.
The 4-lane access-controlled corridor with close tolling, supporting average vehicular speeds of 80 km/h with a design speed of 100 km/h, will reduce the overall travel time to approximately 1.5 hours, while offering safer, faster, and uninterrupted connectivity for both passenger and freight vehicles.
The proposed project with 82.40 km will generate about 14.83 lakh man-days of direct employment and 18.46 lakh man-days of indirect employment. The project will also induce additional employment opportunities due to an increase in economic activity in the vicinity of the proposed corridor. (ANI)