New Delhi, April 4 -- The Union cabinet has approved four railway projects worth Rs.18,658 crore and another Rs.6,839 crore to develop villages on India's borders with Pakistan and China.

The railway projects approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Friday will expand Indian Railways' network by 1,247 km across 15 districts in Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.

The completion of these projects will improve connectivity for about 3,350 villages and 4.7 million people, besides providing direct links to areas like Baloda Bazar, a district in Chhattisgarh known for its cement plants.

The projects include construction of the third and fourth lines for the Sambalpur-Jarapda and Jharsuguda-Sason routes, the fifth and sixth...