Lok Sabha Question No. 2373 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-21
Subject: Survey of New Railway Lines
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Chandra Prakash Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2373 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2022

## SURVEY OF NEW RAILWAY LINES

## 2373. SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH CHOUDHARY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  survey  approved  for  new  railway  lines  in  the  country during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year  along  with  the present  status  thereof,  zone/section-wise  particularly  in  the  Lok Sabha constituencies of Giridih, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh and Ranchi;
- (b) the details of funds allocated and spent on these surveys during the last three years, zone-wise;
- (c) whether  the  Railways  has  sanctioned  projects  for  laying  of  new railway lines for which surveys have already been completed, if so, the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reasons  therefor,  zone/sectionwise;
- (d) whether any time-frame has been fixed to reach a final decision on the  completed survey reports for laying of new railway lines and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  expedite  the projects for which surveys have already been completed?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  2373  BY  SHRI  CHANDRA  PRAKASH CHOUDHARY  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  21.12.2022 REGARDING SURVEY OF NEW RAILWAY LINES

(a): New  Railway  line  projects  are  surveyed/  sanctioned  Zonal Railway  wise  and  not  Parliamentary  constituency  wise  as  the Railways' surveys/projects may span across State/UT boundaries.

In  the  last  three  years  i.e.  2019-20,  2020-21,  2021-22  and  in  the current Financial year 2022-23, 149 surveys for New Lines of a total length  of  10,501  km  have  been  approved  throughout  the  country including those falling fully/partly in parliamentary constituencies of Giridih,  Dhanbad,  Hazaribagh  and  Ranchi.  Zonal  Railway  wise details of these surveys are given below:-

|   SN | Zone                       |   No. of New line surveys approved. |   Total Length (in km) |
|------|----------------------------|-------------------------------------|------------------------|
|    1 | Central Railway            |                                   9 |                   1013 |
|    2 | East Coast Railway         |                                  20 |                   1083 |
|    3 | East Central Railway       |                                  17 |                    873 |
|    4 | Eastern Railway            |                                   4 |                    150 |
|    5 | North Central Railway      |                                   5 |                    492 |
|    6 | North Eastern Railway      |                                   4 |                    437 |
|    7 | Northeast Frontier Railway |                                   8 |                    994 |
|    8 | Northern Railway           |                                  21 |                    723 |
|    9 | North Western Railway      |                                   9 |                    658 |
|   10 | South Central Railway      |                                   3 |                    395 |
|   11 | South East Central Railway |                                  10 |                   1232 |
|   12 | South Eastern Railway      |                                  11 |                    875 |
|   13 | Southern Railway           |                                   3 |                    233 |
|   14 | South Western Railway      |                                  11 |                    745 |
|   15 | West Central Railway       |                                   5 |                    149 |
|   16 | Western Railway            |                                   9 |                    449 |

(b): The details of funds allocated Zonal Railway wise for surveys taken up during the last three years  i.e.  Financial Year  2019-20  to

2021-22 and funds allocated in the current Financial Year 2022-23 alongwith  expenditure  incurred  on  surveys  during  the  last  three Financial Years i.e. 2019-2020, 2020-21, 2021-22 are given below:-

|   SN | Railway            |   Funds allocated for surveys (Revised Estimate) in last 03 years 2019-20 to 2021-22 ( ` in crore) |   *Expenditure incurred on surveys in the last 03 years 2019-20,2020-21 and 2021-22 ( ` in crore) |   Funds allocated for surveys in FY 2022-23 (Budget Estimate) ( ` in crore) |
|------|--------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    1 | Central            |                                                                                              17.63 |                                                                                              6.15 |                                                                        6.29 |
|    2 | East Central       |                                                                                              23.7  |                                                                                              2.56 |                                                                        0.56 |
|    3 | East Coast         |                                                                                               4.07 |                                                                                              0.38 |                                                                        3.59 |
|    4 | Eastern            |                                                                                               1.97 |                                                                                              0.73 |                                                                        1    |
|    5 | North Central      |                                                                                               5.1  |                                                                                              1.27 |                                                                        1.07 |
|    6 | North Eastern      |                                                                                              10.68 |                                                                                              1.68 |                                                                       10.13 |
|    7 | North Western      |                                                                                              13.91 |                                                                                              8.56 |                                                                        3.81 |
|    8 | Northeast Frontier |                                                                                              12.98 |                                                                                             12.15 |                                                                        6.3  |
|    9 | Northern           |                                                                                             106.97 |                                                                                             73    |                                                                        7.6  |
|   10 | South Central      |                                                                                              14.3  |                                                                                              5.69 |                                                                        7.72 |
|   11 | South East Central |                                                                                               3.99 |                                                                                              0.9  |                                                                        1.84 |
|   12 | South Eastern      |                                                                                              10.69 |                                                                                              4.92 |                                                                        6.83 |
|   13 | South Western      |                                                                                               5.91 |                                                                                              2.65 |                                                                        2.46 |
|   14 | Southern           |                                                                                               9.99 |                                                                                              4.81 |                                                                        4.29 |
|   15 | West Central       |                                                                                               3.16 |                                                                                              1.02 |                                                                        0.46 |
|   16 | Western            |                                                                                               9.7  |                                                                                              4.93 |                                                                        3.54 |

(*Includes actual expenditure for FY 2019-20, 2020-21 and provisional expenditure for 2021-22).

(c):  Yes, Sir.  Out of the surveys completed in the last 03  years  i.e.

FY  2019-20,  2020-21,  2021-22  and  the  current  Financial  year,  16 New  Line  projects  have  been  sanctioned.  Zonal  Railway  wise details are as under : -

| Railway            |   No. of new line projects sanctioned in the last three years and current year. |   Total length (in kms) |
|--------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------|
| Central            |                                                                              01 |                   108   |
| East Coast         |                                                                              03 |                    36   |
| North Eastern      |                                                                              01 |                    81   |
| North Western      |                                                                              04 |                   176   |
| Northeast Frontier |                                                                              01 |                     2.7 |
| South Western      |                                                                              04 |                   212   |
| Southern           |                                                                              01 |                    17   |
| Western            |                                                                              01 |                    16   |

(d):    Projects  are  appraised  based  on  parameters  brought  out  in Detailed Project Report (DPR)/Feasibility study reports. After firming up  of  various  parameters,  further  sanctioning  of  project  requires consultation with various state-holders including State Governments and necessary approvals viz. appraisal of NITI Aayog, approval of Cabinet Committee on Economic  Affairs etc. As sanctioning of projects is a continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines cannot be fixed.

(e): Various  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  speedy  sanction and  implementation  of  rail  projects  include  (i)  setting  up  of  Gati Shakti units (ii) prioritisation of projects (iii) substantial increase in allocation of funds on priority projects (iv) delegation of powers at field level (v) close  monitoring  of  progress  of project at various levels,  and  (vi)  regular  follow  up  with  State  Governments  and concerned authorities for expeditious land acquisition, forestry and Wildlife  clearances  and  for  resolving  other  issues  pertaining  to projects. This has led to substantial increase in rate of commissioning since 2014.

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