Vadodara: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has recently approved the Third and Fourth Rail Line project between Ratlam and Nagda. Sharing key details about the project, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday stated that the new rail lines between Ratlam and Nagda will accelerate connectivity from Madhya Pradesh to Gujarat and the ports located on the west coast.

Addressing the media, Ashwini Vaishnaw elaborated on the strategic importance and wide-ranging benefits of this project. He informed that the 41.4 km section, part of the High-Density Network, will be four-lined at a cost of ₹1,018 crore, reducing line capacity utilization from 116% to 65%. It will connect key junctions Nagda (North), Vadodara (South), Indore (East), and Chittorgarh (West), will play a crucial role in regional and national connectivity.

The project will enhance freight movement from Madhya Pradesh to major West Coast ports like Kandla, Mundra, Pipavav, Hazira, Dahej, JNPA, and the proposed Vadhavan Port, boosting access for central and northern economic zones. It will directly benefit Indore SEZ, Chhindwara SEZ, MMPL Indore, MMLP Bhopal, the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor, and key industrial hubs such as the Nagda Thermal Power Plant and associated viscose and chemical industries in the Ratlam region.

The Railway Minister further highlighted that this infrastructural upgrade will lead to faster and more efficient transportation of agricultural commodities, coal, containers, and petroleum products. Tourism in Madhya Pradesh will receive a boost with better access to heritage and religious destinations such as Khajuraho, Gwalior, Kanha National Park, Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga, Sanchi Stupa, Ujjain, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Amarkantak, and Bhim Janmabhoomi.

The project is expected to generate 28 lakh human-days of employment and contribute to environmental sustainability by saving 38 crore kilograms of CO₂ in the first year—equivalent to planting 1.5 crore trees—and over 16.5 crore trees’ worth of savings by the 11th year. Additionally, 7.5 crore liters of diesel will be saved. Freight traffic is projected to rise from 7 MTPA in the first year to 76.4 MTPA by the 11th year, post-commissioning of Vadhavan Port, significantly strengthening India’s logistics and industrial competitiveness.