New Delhi, Aug. 19 -- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved four railway track-quadrupling projects on the Howrah-Chennai high-density network and one highway project in Bihar, worth Rs.13,041 crore.

The Howrah-Chennai route is among the country's most heavily used rail corridors, along with the Mumbai-Chennai, Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes, Union minister for information and broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The four projects, covering eight districts across West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, will expand the existing Indian Railways network by about 410 kilometres.

The proposed multi-tracking projects will enhance connectivity to approximatel...