New Delhi, March 1 (IANS): The 66th meeting of the Centre’s Network Planning Group (NPG) has expedited the process for the new 309 km Broad Gauge (BG) railway line project to open a direct route from Mumbai to Indore, fostering improved connectivity and socio-economic growth in the backward areas of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

The project details were examined on Feb 27 from the perspective of integrated planning based on the principles of PM GatiShakti, according to an official statement issued on Friday.

The greenfield BG line project will stretch across Maharashtra (Nashik and Dhule Districts) and Madhya Pradesh (Badwani, Khargone, Dhar, Indore Districts), connecting existing rail head stations of Manmad and Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow).

The Phaphamau-Unchahar railway line-doubling project in Uttar Pradesh covering 72.27 km across Allahabad, Pratapgarh, and RaeBareli district was also taken up for discussion at the meeting. This brownfield project, aims to improve connectivity, reduce travel time, and enhance operating efficiency.

The meeting was attended by the NPG members heading the network planning wing of respective infrastructure Ministries to discuss the projects from the perspective of integrated planning based on the principles of PM GatiShakti and area development approach for overall regional socio-economic upliftment.

The attendees included officials from infrastructure Ministries, representatives from states where projects would be implemented, among others.

The project details were examined based on the planning on PM GatiShakti NMP. The key outcomes of the evaluation exercise were discussed with the objective of improving connectivity with various economic/social nodes ensuring first/last mile connectivity, and multi-modal infrastructure with the perspective of the whole of the government approach, the official statement added.