Significant infrastructure upgrades have been approved for Maharashtra with the sanctioning of new railway lines and the expansion of a key national highway corridor. The decisions were cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a substantial push toward enhanced regional connectivity.
An investment of ₹10,154 crore has been allocated for the construction of the third and fourth railway lines on the 131-kilometre Kasara–Manmad corridor. The project has been assigned a completion timeline of five years. It has been stated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that the initiative would significantly ease commuter pressure and improve mobility across Mumbai, Thane, and Nashik. Once completed, the requirement for banking engines in the challenging Kasara–Igatpuri ghat section will be removed, and additional passenger trains are expected to be introduced, thereby improving operational efficiency and reducing delays.
Parallel to the rail development, approval has been granted for the rehabilitation and upgradation of the 154.635-kilometre Ghoti–Trimbak (Mokhada)–Jawhar–Manor–Palghar stretch of NH-160A at a cost of ₹3,320.38 crore. The move has been aimed at easing congestion caused by heavy industrial traffic originating from estates developed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation in the Ambad and Satpur regions. Currently, such traffic is routed through Nashik city via NH-848, leading to significant urban road pressure.
Under the new plan, vehicles are expected to connect through the Samruddhi Expressway interchange at Igatpuri and subsequently access NH-160A. Projections indicate that more than 10,000 vehicles per day may use the route from 2028 onward, necessitating four-lane development in high-traffic sections.
The Trimbak–Manor–Palghar segment will also provide connectivity to major corridors such as the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and NH-48, strengthening links to the western coastal belt and tribal regions of Palghar district. In urban stretches where over 12,000 vehicles are recorded daily, four-lane expansion has been proposed to ensure smoother traffic flow.
Upon completion, it has been indicated that substantial reductions in travel time and vehicle operating costs will be achieved. Enhanced infrastructure access in tribal areas is expected to be facilitated, and significant direct and indirect employment opportunities are anticipated to be generated along the corridor. Collectively, these projects are positioned to contribute to a more integrated and future-ready transportation framework for Maharashtra.