The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the doubling of the 177 km Bhagalpur–Dumka–Rampurhat single railway line spanning Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs 3,169 crore.
The project, aligned with the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, aims to ease congestion, boost freight capacity, and improve passenger mobility. It will enhance connectivity for about 28.7 lakh people across 441 villages in three states and improve access to key pilgrimage sites like Deoghar and Tarapith.
The capacity upgrade is expected to handle an additional 15 MTPA of freight, cut oil imports by five crore litres, and lower CO2 emissions by 24 crore kg — equivalent to planting one crore trees.