The Union Cabinet has greenlit infrastructure projects totaling ₹7,616 crore in Bihar, which is preparing for assembly elections later this year. The approved projects include a railway line and a highway project aimed at improving connectivity and boosting economic activity in the region.
One of the key projects involves the doubling of the 177-kilometer Bhagalpur–Dumka–Rampurhat railway line, spanning across Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, with an estimated cost of ₹3,169 crore. This initiative is expected to significantly ease congestion, improve mobility, and handle an additional 15 million tonnes of freight annually. The project will connect approximately 441 villages and three backward districts across the three states. It will also provide rail connectivity to popular destinations such as Deoghar (Baba Baidyanath Dham) and Tarapith (Shaktipeeth), potentially attracting more pilgrims and tourists. The enhanced line capacity promises improved efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. The multi-tracking proposal will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing essential infrastructural development on one of the busiest railway sections.
The second major project is the construction of the 82-kilometer four-lane Mokama–Munger section of the Buxar–Bhagalpur High-Speed Corridor in Bihar, with a capital cost of ₹4,447 crore. This project will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). The high-speed corridor will reduce travel time by an hour and pass through Mokama, Barahiya, Lakhisarai, Jamalpur, and Munger, eventually connecting to Bhagalpur. The project is expected to provide safer, faster, and uninterrupted connectivity for both passenger and freight vehicles.
According to Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, these projects will improve connectivity in Bihar and its adjoining regions, boosting freight movement and supporting regional industry. The railway project is an essential route for transporting coal, cement, fertilizers, bricks, and stones. The capacity augmentation works are expected to result in additional freight traffic of 15 Million Tonnes Per Annum. The approved highway section will provide connectivity to industrial and logistics hubs, with the Munger-Jamalpur-Bhagalpur belt in Eastern Bihar emerging as a key industrial region.
The government anticipates that the highway project will generate approximately 14.83 lakh man-days of direct employment and 18.46 lakh man-days of indirect employment. Furthermore, the increase in economic activity in the region is expected to induce additional employment opportunities. The railway project is also expected to save 50 million liters of oil imports and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 240 million kg, which is equivalent to planting 10 million trees.
Since the start of the ruling National Democratic Alliance's third term, infrastructure projects worth ₹10.94 trillion have been cleared. Vaishnaw noted the fast pace of work and job creation resulting from these projects.
