Indian Railway Multi-Tracking Projects Worth INR 9,072 Crore to Boost Vande Bharat Services
Business
The Union Cabinet’s latest railway push has cleared three multi-tracking projects worth ₹9,072 crore, promising faster paths for Vande Bharat-type services on some of Indian Railways’ most stressed mineral and industrial corridors. By 2030-31, the schemes will add 307 km of extra track across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, a move expected to ease congestion, improve punctuality and open more high-speed, chair-car slots for intercity passengers.
Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on February 24, 2026, the programme covers Gondia–Jabalpur doubling and third and fourth lines between Punarakh–Kiul and Gamharia–Chandil. Together, these sections touch eight districts and improve connectivity for about 5,407 villages with a combined population close to 98 lakh. For Railways planners, this is not just fresh steel on the ground, but capacity that can be sliced between freight and premium express services.
How multi-tracking creates room for more Vande Bharat runs
On busy mixed-traffic routes, Vande Bharat trains often lose time behind slower freight or conventional expresses, especially where only two tracks exist. Adding a second or third pair of lines allows operations to segregate heavy freight from fast passenger trains, cutting conflicting movements at junctions. This reduces dwell times at signals and stations, making it easier to schedule additional Vande Bharat frequencies without eroding punctuality on existing services.
Gondia–Jabalpur, a 231 km corridor linking key freight flows and tourist hubs, is a case in point. Once doubled, dispatchers gain flexibility to slot limited-stop, high-acceleration services in dedicated windows, while coal, steel and cement rakes can be bunched on parallel tracks. Officials expect the three projects together to unlock around 52 million tonnes of extra annual freight capacity, freeing up timetable space now occupied by slow-moving bulk trains.
Key multi-tracking projects and corridor role
| Section | State(s) | Work | Approx. length (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gondia–Jabalpur | Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh | Doubling | 231 |
| Punarakh–Kiul | Bihar | 3rd and 4th line | ~56 |
| Gamharia–Chandil | Jharkhand | 3rd and 4th line | ~20 |
These stretches sit on arterial flows carrying coal, steel, iron ore, cement, fertilisers, limestone, foodgrains and petroleum products. The government’s note stresses that the strengthened corridors, planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, are expected to streamline operations and “alleviate congestion” on saturated sections. For timetable planners, that translates into fewer cascading delays and more reliable margins for semi high-speed services.
Likely time savings and reliability gains
Railway officials have not released section-wise Vande Bharat timings yet, since detailed project reports and operating plans will follow. However, past multi-tracking exercises on similar mixed corridors, like the Itarsi–Nagpur and Vadodara–Ratlam projects cleared earlier, have typically enabled end-to-end time savings of 10–20 minutes for fast expresses on 200–300 km stretches, mainly by reducing unscheduled halts and restrictive signal checks.
On the new routes, the larger impact is expected to come from reliability rather than dramatic speed jumps. With more tracks, dispatchers can prioritise fixed-schedule services such as Vande Bharat, Shatabdi or important mail–express trains, while routing heavy rakes on alternative lines during peak passenger bands. Over time, this can support higher frequencies; for example, moving from one to two Vande Bharat services daily on corridors where demand and terminal capacity permit.
Economic, environmental and commissioning milestones
The rail ministry estimates that the three sanctioned projects together will generate additional freight of about 52 million tonnes per year, cut oil imports by roughly six crore litres and lower carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 30 crore kilograms, a reduction officials liken to planting one crore trees. These numbers underscore why multi-tracking is treated as both a capacity and climate investment in current rail policy.
All three projects carry a commissioning horizon of 2030-31, aligning with broader Gati Shakti targets for integrated logistics upgrades. As detailed surveys, land acquisition and construction contracts move forward, Railways is expected to freeze more precise commissioning windows and begin modelling future Vande Bharat paths. For passengers along these mineral and industrial belts, the concrete gains will show up as shorter, more predictable journeys and a denser menu of daytime intercity options.