Lok Sabha Question No. 205 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-07
Subject: Restoration of Western Railway Train Services
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Guman Singh Damor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 205 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.12.2022

## RESTORATION OF WESTERN RAILWAY TRAIN SERVICES

†205.  SHRI GUMAN SINGH DAMOR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the names of trains that were discontinued  on Delhi-Mumbai via Ratlam  route  of  Western  Railway  due  to    Covid-19  along  with  the details of curtailed stoppages;
- (b)  the  time  by  which  the  said  train  services  on  this  rail  route  are likely to be restored;
- (c) the details of the number of sanctioned ongoing and closed trains projects in Madhya Pradesh and the reasons for its closure;
- (d)  the  time  frame  which  has  been  fixed  to  complete  the  work  of Indore-Dahod via Jhabua rail project along with cost of the project at present;
- (e) the details of physical and financial progress and the targets fixed to be achieved in this financial  year; and
- (f)  the  total  budget  provided  this  year  in  order  to  complete  the  said project?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) and  (b)  Indian  Railways,  to  contain  the  spread  of  COVID-19 pandemic,  had  discontinued  all  regular  passenger  carrying  trains w.e.f. 23.03.2020 and only special trains were being operated. Indian Railways  have  also  undertaken  rationalization  of  time  table  in  a scientific  manner  with  the  assistance  of  IIT-Bombay.  The  exercise has been undertaken inter alia to provide for better passenger safety by  creating  maintenance  corridor  blocks,  minimizing  conflicts  in existing time table etc. The exercise also included rationalization of train services and  stoppages  as  per  operational  feasibility  and commercial justification. Accordingly, since November-2021, Mail/Express services are being operated with rationalized time table. Services of 19023/24 Mumbai-Firozpur Janta Express and 185 stoppages of certain trains from some stations, located on the DelhiRatlam- Mumbai Route have been discontinued, as a part of the said exercise.

(c) to (f): The Railway projects are sanctioned Zonal Railway wise and not  State-wise,  District  wise  or  area  wise  as  the  Railways'  projects may span across State/District/Area boundaries.

However,  as  on  01.04.2022,  33  Railway  projects  (08  new  lines,  02 gauge conversion and 23 doubling), costing ` 84,469 crore for 5,872 km  length  falling  fully/partly  in  Madhya  Pradesh  are  under  different stages of planning/approval/execution. Out of which, 1,319 km length has  been  commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ` 23,780  crore  has been  incurred  upto  March,  2022.  Madhya  Pradesh  is  covered  by Central  Railway,  East  Central  Railway,  North  Central  Railway,  West Central  Railway,  Western  Railway,  South  East  Central  Railway  Railway zones. Zone 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 (RSP).

Zone  wise  details  of  New  Line,  Gauge  Conversion  and  Doubling projects is also available. Indian Railways has taken up Dahod-Indore via  Sardarpur,  Jhabua  &  Dhar  new  line  (205  km)  project.  Cost  of project  is ` 1873  crore.  An  expenditure  of ` 890  crore  has  been incurred on the project till March, 2022. An outlay of ` 265 crore has been provided  for  the  project  for  the  year  2022-23.    Indore-Rau-Tihi (21 km) and Dahod-Katwara (11 km) sections have been commissioned. Also further, Land acquisition & Forest land diversion land have been taken up. Work has been taken up in available land. Timely  completion  of  Railway  project(s)  depends  on  various  factors like quick land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance by officials of forest department, 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  of  the  project(s).  With  above  constraints,  Railways  is making all efforts for expeditious completion of project(s).

For Financial Year 2022-23, highest ever Budget allocation of ` 12,110 crore  has  been  provided  for  infrastructure  and  safety  works,  falling fully/partly in the state of Madhya Pradesh, which is 1816% more than the  average  annual  Budget  allocation  of  2009-14  ( ` 632  crore  per year).  During  2014-22,  1515  km  sections  (293  km  New  line,  631  km Gauge  conversion  and  591  km  Doubling),  falling  fully/partly  in  the state of Madhya Pradesh, have been commissioned at an average rate of  189.38  km  per  year,  which  is  553%  more  than  average  annual commissioning achieved during 2009-14 (29 km per year).

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