Lok Sabha Question No. 4724 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-24
Subject: Railway Network
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pawan Rajenimbalkar, Hemant Patil, Rahul Ramesh Shewale

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4724 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2021

## RAILWAY NETWORK

4724. SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAWAN  RAJENIMBALKAR: SHRI HEMANT SRIRAM PATIL: SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any survey on the areas that are not connected with railway network in the country so far, if  so,  the  details  and  the  outcome  thereof,  State/UT-wise  and Zone-wise;
- (b) the details of the projects started by the Government to connect such areas to the railway network during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise and Zone-wise;
- (c) the  funds  provided  by  the  Government  for  such  projects  along with its utilisation during the said period, Project and Zone-wise; and
- (d) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  connect  each  and  every area of the country to railway network along with the achievements thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMERCE & INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4724 BY SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAWAN RAJENIMBALKAR, SHRI HEMANT SRIRAM PATIL AND SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 24.03.2021 REGARDING RAILWAY NETWORK

(a): Survey for new railway lines in areas which are not connected by Railway  network  is  a  continuous  and  ongoing  process  of  Indian Railways and are done based on demands raised by State Governments, Ministries of Central Government, Members of Parliament, other elected representatives, organizations/rail users and Railways' own  operational requirements. Presently, 171 nos. of surveys for New Lines having a total length of 18,630 km have been taken up and are in different stages of progress on Indian Railways.

(b): The Railway projects are sanctioned Zonal Railway-wise and not State/UT-wise as the Indian Railways' network spans across various State boundaries. During the last 3 years and the current year, total 37 New Line projects have been included in Budget subject to requisite approvals.  Presently  there  are  189  New  line  projects  of  21,343  km length, costing ` 4,04,853 crore which  are  in various stages  of planning/execution and approval, out of which commissioning of 2,633 km length  has  been  achieved  and  expenditure  of ` 94,575  crore  has been  incurred  upto  March,  2020.  These  will  provide  connectivity  to areas which are not connected with Railway network.

Details  of  New  line,  gauge  Conversion  and  Doubling  projects  zone wise included in the Budget subject to requisite approvals during the last  three  years  i.e.  FY  2017-18,  2018-19,  2019-20  and  the  Current Year 2020-21 (upto February,2021) is as under:-

| Zonal Railway              |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |
|----------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Central Railway            |         3 |         4 |         2 |         0 |
| Eastern Railway            |         0 |         0 |         1 |         0 |
| East Central Railway       |         1 |         4 |         5 |         0 |
| East Coast Railway         |         1 |         1 |         2 |         0 |
| Northern Railway           |         7 |         2 |         8 |         0 |
| North Central Railway      |         5 |        10 |         1 |         0 |
| North Eastern Railway      |         5 |         0 |         1 |         0 |
| Northeast Frontier Railway |         5 |         0 |         2 |         1 |
| North Western Railway      |         2 |         2 |         5 |         0 |
| Southern Railway           |         1 |         2 |         4 |         0 |
| South Central Railway      |         1 |         1 |         3 |         0 |
| South Eastern Railway      |         2 |         5 |         4 |         0 |
| South East Central Railway |         0 |         1 |         1 |         0 |
| South Western Railway      |         1 |         6 |         3 |         0 |
| Western Railway            |        20 |         3 |         2 |         0 |
| West Central Railway       |         0 |         0 |         2 |         0 |
| Total                      |        54 |        41 |        46 |         1 |

(c): The  total  Budget  Allocation  of  funds  for  New  Line,  Gauge Conversion  and  Doubling  works  during  the  last  three  years  i.e. Financial Year 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 was ` 94,625 crore i.e. an average annual budget allocation of ` 31,542 crore per year which is 174% more than the average annual budget allocation of ` 11,527 crore per year during 2009-14. Revised Budget outlay of ` 40,757 crore has been  provided  to  these  projects  for  financial  year  2020-21  which  is 254%  more  than  average  annual  budget  outlay  of  2009-14.  For financial year 2021-22, highest-ever budget outlay of ` 45,165 crore has been proposed for these works, which is 292% more with respect to average annual budget outlay of 2009-14.

Project-wise  details  of  ongoing  projects  including  cost,  expenditure incurred  and  outlay  are  made  available  in  public  domain  on  Indian Railways website i.e. www.indianrailways.gov.in > Ministry of Railways  >  Railway  Board  >  About  Indian  Railways  >  Railway  Board Directorates  >  Finance  (Budget)  >  Pink  Book  (Year)  >  Railway-wise Works, Machinery & Rolling Stock Programme (RSP).

(d):  Based  on  Survey  reports,  projects  are  taken  up  on  the  basis  of remunerativeness, last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes,  augmentation  of  congested/saturated  lines,  socio-economic considerations etc. depending upon throw forward of ongoing projects, overall availability of funds and competing demands.

During  2014-19,  13,124  km  length  (3035  km  New  Lines,  3,993  km Gauge  Conversion  and  6,096  km  Doubling)  has  been  commissioned which is 73% more than the commissioning during 2009-14 (7599 km). During 2019-20, 2,226

km length (360 km New Lines, 408 km Gauge Conversion and 1458 km Doubling)  has  been  commissioned  which  is  46%  more  than  average annual commissioning during 2009-14 (1,520 km/year).

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