Patna: Ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Bihar on May 29, state’s chief secretary Amrit Lal Meena has requested the railway board to construct additional rail lines, suburban transport networks, two new rail bridges over the Ganga between Fatuha & Bidupur and Ara & Chapra, besides introducing a circular train service on the Buddha Circuit Rail Corridor on the existing Patna-Gaya-Tilaiya-Rajgir-Fatuha-Patna route.In a recent letter to the railway board chairman Satish Kumar, Meena sent a proposal for beginning six new projects to strengthen the rail network in the state.“Bihar’s population density was 1,106 per sq km in 2011 and 1,388 in 2024, which is 289.5% beyond the average population density of the nation whereas population density per lakh per railway track (km) in the state is 5.31km in comparison to the national average of 9.81 km,” Meena stated in the letter.Stating that a notable share of the state’s population travels to other regions for employment, education and healthcare creating further burden on rail infrastructure, he said the six new rail projects would bring the state to national standard.The railways should introduce a circular train service on the rail network on the existing Patna-Gaya-Tilaiya-Rajgir -Fatuha-Patna (including sanction of Bakhtiarpur-Tilaiya section doubling) which would greatly benefit people travelling to and from Bodh Gaya and Rajgir, Meena said, adding that this service would facilitate convenient commuting for residents of Patna, Jehanabad, Gaya, Nawada and Nalanda districts. “This will further the vision statement of the Union Budget speech of 2025 (Purvodaya),” he said.Referring to the proposed Patna Regional Transport Network, Meena said, “Connectivity between Fatuha and Bidupur can be established by building a rail bridge between Fatuha and Bidupur on the downside of Fatuha station. This network can be developed in the form of Patna Junction-Patna Saheb-Fatuha-Bidupur-Hajipur-Sonepur-Patliputra- Patna Junction.Demanding a new rail bridge on Ganga between Ara and Chapra, he said, “It will enhance connectivity between Shahabad and Saran region, easing traffic between north and south Bihar.”The chief secretary has also requested the development of the South Bihar Suburban Transport Network, the North Bihar Suburban Transport Network and additional railway lines on the DDU-Buxar-Ara-Patna-Kiul, which has a high density of rail passengers.