Lok Sabha Question No. 1446 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-10
Subject: Increase in Speed of Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Rajeshbhai Naranbhai Chudasama, Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pawan Rajenimbalkar, Rahul Ramesh Shewale, Hemant Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1446 TO BE  ANSWERED ON 10.02.2021

## INCREASE IN SPEED OF TRAINS

1446. SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH alias PAWAN RAJENIMBALKAR:

SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE:

SHRI HEMANT SRIRAM PATIL:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has increased the maximum speed of a large number of trains plying in various parts of the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, Zone-wise along with the increase in speed of trains covering Golden Quadrilateral-Golden Diagonal route;
- (c) the funds spent to improve requisite upgradation of infrastructure to enhance maximum speed of the said trains during each of the last three years and the current year, Zone-wise;
- (d) the number of complaints received by the Government for irregularities/corruption  in  utilization  of  the  said  funds  during  the  said period along with the action taken/being taken on such complaints so far; and
- (e) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government in this direction?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(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.  1446  BY  SHRI  RAJESHBHAI  CHUDASAMA,  SHRI  OMPRAKASH

BHUPALSINH  ALIAS  PAWAN  RAJENIMBALKAR,    SHRI  RAHUL  RAMESH  SHEWALE AND  SHRI HEMANT SRIRAM PATIL TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 10.02.2021 REGARDING  INCREASE IN SPEED OF TRAINS

(a) and (b) With a view to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Railways (IR)  discontinued  all  regular  passenger  carrying  trains  w.e.f.  23 rd   March,2020  and presently only special trains keeping in view the concerns and suggestions of State Government are being operated. However, in its endeavour to rationalize time tables and speed up of trains, which are on-going exercises and which are dependent inter alia on factors like availability/upgradation of track, doubling of section, upgradation of  rolling  stock,  Indian  Railways,  has  decided  to  speed  up  both  Passenger  and Express train services,  thereby  upgrading  them  as  Express  and  superfast  services respectively. The Zone-wise details are as under:

|   Sl | Zonal Railway                      |   Number of trains ( in single) |
|------|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|    1 | North Central Railway              |                              10 |
|    2 | Central Railway                    |                              50 |
|    3 | Eastern Railway                    |                              16 |
|    4 | Northern Railway                   |                              26 |
|    5 | North Eastern Railway              |                              12 |
|    6 | Northeast Frontier Railway         |                              20 |
|    7 | Southern Railway                   |                              42 |
|    8 | South Central Railway              |                              59 |
|    9 | South Eastern Railway              |                              36 |
|   10 | Western Railway                    |                              68 |
|   11 | East Central Railway               |                              12 |
|   12 | North Western Railway              |                              53 |
|   13 | East Coast Railway                 |                              24 |
|   14 | South Western Railway              |                              34 |
|   15 | West Central Railway               |                              12 |
|   16 | South East Central Railway         |                              08 |
|   17 | Konkan Railway Corporation Limited |                              06 |

- (c) Upgradation of track infrastructure is done through regular track renewal works, as and when the track becomes due for renewal based on criteria stipulated in Indian Railway Permanent Way Manual (IRPWM).

This upgradation of track caters to raising of sectional speed of sections upto 130 kmph.  Zone-wise  expenditure  for  track  renewal  works  (under  Plan  Head  -  31)    & Signaling works (under Plan Head -33) during last three years and the current year (up to December, 2020) is indicated below:-

| Track Renewal Expenditure figures (PH-31) ( ` in Cr.)   | Track Renewal Expenditure figures (PH-31) ( ` in Cr.)   | Track Renewal Expenditure figures (PH-31) ( ` in Cr.)   | Track Renewal Expenditure figures (PH-31) ( ` in Cr.)   | Track Renewal Expenditure figures (PH-31) ( ` in Cr.)   | S&T Works Expenditure of PH-33 ( ` in Cr.)   | S&T Works Expenditure of PH-33 ( ` in Cr.)   | S&T Works Expenditure of PH-33 ( ` in Cr.)   | S&T Works Expenditure of PH-33 ( ` in Cr.)   |
|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| Zonal Railway                                           | 2017-18                                                 | 2018-19                                                 | 2019-20                                                 | 2020-21 (up to Decem- ber, 2020)                        | 2017- 18                                     | 2018-19                                      | 2019- 20                                     | 2020- 21 (up to Decem- ber, 2020)            |
| Central Railway                                         | 639.08                                                  | 764.92                                                  | 612.73                                                  | 592.1                                                   | 79.46                                        | 113.13                                       | 152.92                                       | 84.81                                        |
| Eastern Railway                                         | 565.7                                                   | 553.35                                                  | 504.27                                                  | 405.6                                                   | 52.67                                        | 97.4                                         | 79.66                                        | 31.88                                        |
| East Central Railway                                    | 540.1                                                   | 533.8                                                   | 653.37                                                  | 519.1                                                   | 49.78                                        | 196.19                                       | 167.58                                       | 72.66                                        |
| East Coast Railway                                      | 566.41                                                  | 625.27                                                  | 713.51                                                  | 443.9                                                   | 38.19                                        | 35.08                                        | 47.66                                        | 13.45                                        |
| Northern Railway                                        | 1127.82                                                 | 1342.87                                                 | 1378.34                                                 | 920.9                                                   | 122.34                                       | 129.87                                       | 132.63                                       | 185.26                                       |
| North Central Railway                                   | 468.8                                                   | 512.74                                                  | 486.71                                                  | 476.7                                                   | 184.09                                       | 161.66                                       | 227.13                                       | 175.48                                       |
| North Eastern Railway                                   | 291.88                                                  | 176.68                                                  | 245.44                                                  | 185.3                                                   | 68.65                                        | 49.27                                        | 43                                           | 25.69                                        |
| Northeast Frontier Railway                              | 354.42                                                  | 365.62                                                  | 276.13                                                  | 334.1                                                   | 60.53                                        | 49.61                                        | 44.45                                        | 21.54                                        |
| North Western Railway                                   | 385.89                                                  | 465.36                                                  | 491.54                                                  | 388                                                     | 56.33                                        | 52.89                                        | 62.93                                        | 40.02                                        |
| Southern Railway                                        | 741.33                                                  | 770.02                                                  | 722.51                                                  | 594                                                     | 94.46                                        | 95.68                                        | 105.12                                       | 78.49                                        |
| South Central Railway                                   | 581.59                                                  | 671.8                                                   | 633.52                                                  | 615                                                     | 92.08                                        | 116.28                                       | 85.55                                        | 49.46                                        |
| South Eastern Railway                                   | 539.94                                                  | 624.58                                                  | 553.47                                                  | 521.3                                                   | 97.66                                        | 144.2                                        | 131.01                                       | 72.02                                        |

| South East Central Railway   | 378.36   | 500.56   | 487.05   | 361    |   36.88 |      58 |   65.74 |    37.2 |
|------------------------------|----------|----------|----------|--------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
| South Western Railway        | 394.42   | 506.98   | 543.32   | 331.6  |   47.2  |   45.02 |   38.77 |   16.41 |
| Western Railway              | 742.69   | 705.54   | 570      | 611.3  |   93.95 |  122.32 |  169.33 |   76.64 |
| West                         | 555.85   | 517.9    | 502.67   | 357.4  |   78.86 |   70.22 |   67.78 |   44.54 |
| Metro Railway Kolkata        | -        | -        | -        | -      |    0.53 |    2.08 |    1.45 |    1.08 |
| Total                        | 8874.28  | 9637.99  | 9374.58  | 7657.2 | 1253.66 | 1538.9  | 1622.71 | 1026.63 |

Besides,  funds  spent  to  improve  requisite    upgradation  of  Electrical  Traction distribution works (under Plan Head -36), which also helps enhance maximum speed of  the  trains,  covering  golden  quadrilateral-golden  diagonal  route  during  last  three years and the current year is as under:

| Zonal Railway              |   2017-18 ( ` in Cr.) |   2018-19 ( ` in Cr.) |   2019-20 ( ` in Cr.) |   2020-21 ( ` in Cr.) |
|----------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| East Central Railway       |                  4.39 |                 52.19 |                 35.56 |                 27.74 |
| South East Central Railway |                  1.72 |                  0.04 |                  0.14 |                  1.95 |
| Western Railway            |                  0    |                  0    |                  0    |                  1.71 |
| West Central Railway       |                  0    |                  0    |                  0    |                  0.7  |
| Total                      |                  6.11 |                 52.23 |                 35.7  |                 32.1  |

(d)  &  (e)  No  such  specific  complaint  for  irregularities/corruption  in  utilization  of funds  regarding  enhancement  of  maximum  speed  of  trains  has  been  received  in Vigilance.

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