The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹20,667 crore double-line semi-high-speed rail project connecting Sarkhej in Ahmedabad to Dholera, the first of its kind on the Indian Railways network, developed on indigenous technology under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
The 134-kilometre addition to the rail network will deliver seamless multi-modal connectivity between Ahmedabad, Dholera Special Investment Region, the under-construction Dholera Airport, and the Lothal National Maritime Heritage Complex, with improved access to approximately 284 villages and an estimated five lakh beneficiaries. The project is also positioned as a reference model for phased semi-high-speed rail expansion across India.
Beyond passenger mobility, the corridor is designed to enhance logistics efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and lower freight costs, embedding environmental and economic objectives within a single infrastructure investment. The project’s approval under Aatmanirbhar Bharat underscores the government’s intent to develop and deploy homegrown rail technology at scale, with Gujarat serving as the proving ground for a network that could reshape India’s intercity connectivity framework.
