Mumbai-Indore rail route will serve as a shorter link between western and southwestern parts of India: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw yesterday highlighted that the newly approved Mumbai-Indore rail route would serve as a shorter connection between western and southwestern parts of India and central India, significantly boosting tourism in the region, particularly at sites like the Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in Ujjain.

Addressing the event via video conferencing, Minister Vaishnaw said the project is an outcome of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, which has been made possible through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services.

The project covers 6 districts in 2 states i.e. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and will augment the existing network of Indian Railways by about 309 km. The New Line project will provide connectivity to approximately 1,000 villages and about 30 lakh inhabitants.

It is an essential route for transportation of commodities like agro-produce, fertilisers, containers, iron ore, steel, cement, POL etc. The capacity expansion works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude of about 26 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). Railways, being an environment-friendly and energy-efficient mode of transport, will help in achieving climate goals and minimising logistics costs for the country, reducing oil imports (Rs 18 lakh crore) and CO2 emissions (Rs 138 lakh crore) which is equivalent to plantation of 5.5 lakh crore trees.