Cabinet approves doubling of Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag railway route

NEW DELHI: Aiming at overall economic development of the region, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved doubling of Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag railway line, connection Mumbai and Bengaluru, at an estimated cost of Rs 2058 crore.

A key rail link, Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag route is a single line rail link between Guntakal-Pune-Mumbai and Hospet-Hubli-Goa rail routes.

Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CCEA approved the crucial capacity augmentation project for the smooth movement of goods trains required by industries in the region.

A number of integrated steel plants, power plants and cement plants are coming up along the Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag route. The doubling work will provide the necessary line capacity for introduction of additional trains and smooth movement of rakes to/from the industries/power plants, an official realease said.

In view of the industrial activities taking place in the area, demands are also being received for running of additional train services through this route and doubling of line is expected to boost overall development of the region.

Rs 946 crore is already received from NTPC under the Customer Funding Model for doubling of the stretch between Hotgi-Kudgi (134 km) and the remaining amount of Rs 1107.58 crore will be funded through the gross budgetary support of Railway Ministry or extra budgetary resources or both.