Lok Sabha Question No. 104 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-02
Subject: New Railway Lines in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: S.R. Parthiban

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 104 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2022

## NEW RAILWAY LINES IN TAMIL NADU

104. SHRI PARTHIBAN S.R.:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  new  railway  lines  that  are  pending  in  the  country including Tamil Nadu, State-wise;
- (b) whether  adequate  funds  are  available  for  completion  of  these projects and work on some of the new railway lines is in progress and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the time by which the said projects are likely to be completed?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  to  (c)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  104  BY  SHRI  PARTHIBAN  S.R.  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 02.02.2022 REGARDING NEW RAILWAY LINES IN TAMIL NADU.

(a) & (b): The Railway projects are sanctioned Zonal Railway wise and not  State  wise  as  the  Railways'  projects  may  span  across  various state boundaries. As on 01.04.2021, across Indian Railways including Tamil  Nadu,  187  New  line  projects  of  21,037  Km  length,  costing approx. ` 4.06 lakh crore are in different stages of planning/sanction/execution, out of which commissioning of 2,621 Km length has been achieved and expenditure of approx. ` 1.06 lakh crore has been incurred upto March, 2021.

Zonal Railway wise details of Railway projects including cost, expenditure 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) >Rail Budget/Pink Book (Year)> Railway wise Works Machinery and Rolling Stock Programme.

Budget  outlay  has  been  provided  to  the  projects  in  a  rationalized manner  and  budget  has  been  allotted  to  the  projects  which  are  in advance stage of completion, priority projects, important New Line & National projects, executable & important Gauge conversion projects and     the    projects    which    are     important   from   the  throughput ..P/2

enhancement considerations. Thus, focused attention is given in fund allotment, rather than thinly spreading the resources without commensurate results.

Since 2014, there has been substantial increase in Budget allocation and  commensurate  commissioning  of  projects.  The  Average  Annual Budget  allocation in the Indian Railways for  New  Line,  Gauge Conversion  and  Doubling  works  during  2014-19  has  increased  to ` 26,026  crore  per  year  from ` 11,527  crore  per  year  during  2009-14, which is 126% more than average annual  budget  outlay  of  2009-14. The  Annual  budget  allocation for these Projects  for   Financial   Year 2019-20    was ` 39,836  crore    (246%    more    than  average  annual budget allocation during 2009-14) and ` 43,626 crore in Financial Year 2020-21 (278% more than the Average Annual Budget allocation during 2009-14).  For  Financial  year  2021-22,  highest-ever  budget  outlay  of ` 52,398 crore has been provided for these works, which is 355% more than average annual budget outlay of 2009-14.

During 2014-21, 3,681 km New line sections have been commissioned across Indian Railways at an average of 525.86 km/year which is 52% more than the average commissioning during 2009-14(345.40 km/year).

## TAMIL NADU

Tamil  Nadu  is  covered  by  South  Western  Railway  (SWR),  Southern Railway (SR) and South Central Railway (SCR) zone of Indian Railways.

As  on  01.04.21,  09  new  line  projects  covering  a  length  of  871  km costing of ` 7,910 crore falling fully/partly in Tamil Nadu are in different stages of planning/approval/sanction and an expenditure of ` 575 crore has been incurred upto March 2021.

There is substantial increase in budget allocation since 2014. Average annual  Budget  allocation  for  Infrastructure  and  safety  works,  falling fully/ partly in State of Tamil Nadu, during 2014-19 has been enhanced to ` 1,979  crore  per  year  from ` 879  crore  per  year  during  2009-14, which  is  125%  more  than  average  annual  budget  outlay  of  2009-14. For  financial  year  2019-20  budget  allocation  of ` 2410  crore  (174% more than average annual allocation of 2009-14) and for financial year 2020-21 ` 2812 crore (220% more than average annual budget allocation of 2009-14)  has been provided for these works. For financial year  2021-22,  budget  outlay  of ` 3730  crore  (original  budget  outlay ` 2,972  crore  and  additional ` 758  crore)  has  been  provided  for  these works,  which  is  the    highest  ever  budget  allocation  and  324%  more than average annual budget outlay of 2009-14.

During 2014-21, 996 km sections (404 km of Gauge Conversion and 592 km  of  Doubling)  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Tamil  Nadu  have been commissioned at an average rate 142.29 km per year.

(c):  The  completion  of  any  Railway  project(s)  depends  on  various factors like quick land acquisition by State Government,  forest clearance by officials of forest department, deposition of cost share by State Government in cost sharing projects, priority of projects, shifting of  infringing  utilities,  statutory  clearances  from  various  authorities, geological and topographical conditions of area, law and order situation in the area of project(s) site, number of working months  in  a year for particular project site due to climatic conditions etc. and all these factors affect the completion time of the project(s) due to which the  confirmed  time  frame  for  completion  of  projects  cannot  be ascertained at this stage. However, Railways is making all the efforts for expeditious completion of projects.

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