Patna: India’s railway ministry has approved 11 major projects in Bihar as part of a wider Rs 1.53tn (£14.6bn) national investment programme aimed at expanding capacity, improving connectivity and modernising infrastructure.
The projects form part of a broader package of 100 schemes cleared for the 2025-26 financial year, which together will add more than 6,000km to the country’s rail network, according to officials.
Under the government’s PM Gati Shakti national master plan, the Bihar works will include new rail lines, track doubling and multi-tracking, measures designed to ease congestion and improve operational efficiency.
Bihar is among the four states to receive the highest number of approved projects, highlighting a focus on extending connectivity to underserved and rural areas. Officials said the expansion is expected to reduce regional disparities by linking remote districts more effectively to the wider rail grid.
The addition of new lines is intended to improve access for villages and smaller towns, while doubling and multi-tracking of existing routes is expected to cut delays and improve reliability for passengers.
The investment is also expected to provide an economic boost to the state. Improved rail infrastructure could support industrial growth, generate employment and strengthen supply chains by linking key regions with emerging logistics hubs.
The railway ministry has set a freight transportation target of 3,000m tonnes, with the new projects aimed at enabling faster and more cost-effective movement of goods. More than 35 of the 100 approved schemes nationwide are estimated to cost over Rs 1,000 crore each, underlining the scale of the expansion.
