The Cabinet on Tuesday approved three major multitracking railway projects worth Rs 23,437 crore, aimed at significantly expanding and modernising India’s rail infrastructure, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.The approved projects include the Nagda-Mathura third and fourth line, Guntakal-Wadi third and fourth line and Burhwal-Sitapur third and fourth line. Together, these projects will add around 901 km to the existing Indian Railways network and are expected to be completed by 2030-31.He said the projects span 19 districts across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, enhancing connectivity and operational capacity in key freight and passenger corridors.Vaishnaw said the capacity augmentation would improve mobility, reduce congestion and enhance service reliability across the rail network. The initiative is aligned with the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, focusing on integrated planning for multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency.The expanded network is expected to directly benefit around 4,161 villages with a combined population of nearly 83 lakh, improving access to markets, services and employment opportunities.The railway corridors are also expected to boost connectivity to major tourist destinations, including Mahakaleshwar, Ranthambore National Park, Kuno National Park, Keoladeo National Park, Mathura, Vrindavan, Naimisharanya and several prominent religious and cultural sites.Freight movement will be a key beneficiary, with the routes facilitating transport of commodities such as coal, foodgrains, cement, POL (petroleum, oil and lubricants), iron and steel, iron ore, containers and fertilisers. The government estimates an additional freight traffic capacity of 60 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).The minister said shifting freight to rail would contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing oil imports by around 37 crore litres and cutting CO₂ emissions by 185 crore kg — equivalent to planting nearly seven crore trees.