Lok Sabha Question No. 318 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-24
Subject: New Railway Lines in North-Eastern Region
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Dilip Saikia

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 318 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2024

## NEW RAILWAY LINES IN NORTH-EASTERN REGION

- † 318. SHRI DILIP SAIKIA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  lay  new  railway  lines  in various parts of the country including North-Eastern Region;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the  proposals  from  various  States regarding  new  railway lines is under consideration with the Government ;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  construct  around  141  KMs railway  line  from  Rengia  to  Dekaragon  via  Baijra,  Dumnichauki, Siphajhar,  Mangaldoi,  Kharupetia,  Dalgaon  and  Orang  for  which survey has been completed?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING 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.  318  BY  SHRI DILIP SAIKIA TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 24.07.2024 REGARDING NEW RAILWAY LINES IN NORTH-EASTERN REGION

(a) and (b): The Railway projects are surveyed/sanctioned/executed Zonal Railway-wise and not State/district-wise/region wise as the Railway projects may span across state boundaries.

As  on  01.04.2024,  across  Indian  Railways  including  North  eastern region,  488  Railway  Infrastructure  projects  (187  New  Line,  40  Gauge Conversion and 261 Doubling) of total length 44,488 Km, costing approx. 7.44  lakh  crore  are  in  planning/approval/construction  stage,  out  of which, 12,045 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of approx.  2.92 lakh crore has been incurred upto March, 2024.

Zone-wise/year-wise  details  of  all Railway  Projects  including  cost, expenditure and outlay are  made available  in  public  domain  on  Indian Railways website.

The Average Annual Budget allocation for New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling Projects across Indian Railways is given below:

| Period   | Average Outlay    | Increase w.r.t. average allocation of 2009-14   |
|----------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 11,527 crore/year | -                                               |
| 2014-24  | 40,289 crore/year | Nearly 3.5 times                                |
| 2023-24  | 67,199 crore      | Nearly 6 times                                  |

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The  details  of  commissioning  of  New  Line,  Gauge  Conversion  and Doubling across Indian Railways is given below:-

| Period   | Total Length Commissioned   | Average Length Commissioned   | Increase w.r.t. average commissioning during 2009-14   |
|----------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 7,599 km                    | 4.2 km/day                    | -                                                      |
| 2023-24  | 5,309 km                    | 14.54 km/day                  | About 3.5 times                                        |

Railway infrastructural Projects in the Northeast Region are covered by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Zone of Indian Railways.

As on 01.04.2024, 18 projects (13 New Lines and 5 Doubling), of a total length  of  1,368  km,  costing 74,972  crore,  falling  fully/partly  in  North Eastern  Region,  are  in  planning/approval/construction  stage,  out  of which  313  km  length  has  been  commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of 40,549 crore has been incurred upto March 2024. These include:-

13  New  Line  projects  covering  total  length  of  896  km  at  a  cost  of 64,873 crore, out of which 81 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of  34,616 crore has been incurred upto March 2024.

5 Doubling projects covering total length of 472 km at a cost of 10,099 crore,  out  of  which  232  km  length  has  been  commissioned  and  an expenditure of  5,933 crore has been incurred upto March 2024.

Average Budget allocation for Infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/ partly in North Eastern Region is as under:

| Period   | Average Outlay   | Percentage more as compared to average allocation during 2009-14   |
|----------|------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 2,122 crore/year | -                                                                  |
| 2023-24  | 10,269 crore     | About 5 times                                                      |

The  details  of  commissioning  of  New  Lines,  Gauge  Conversion  and Doubling  sections  falling  fully/partly  in  the  North  Eastern  Region  is  as under:

| Period   | Total Length Commissioned   | Average Length Commissioned   | Change w.r.t. average commissioning during 2009-14   |
|----------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 333 km                      | 66.6 km/Year                  | -                                                    |
| 2014-24  | 1,728 km                    | 172.8 km/Year                 | About 2.6 times                                      |

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 and cost of the project(s).

(c) & (d): Proposals/requests/suggestions/ representations, both formal and informal for Railway projects/Works across the country are received on  the  basis  of  demands  raised  by  State  Governments,  Members  of Parliament,  Ministries  of  Central  Government,  elected  representatives, Railways'  own  requirements,  organizations/rail  users  etc.  at  various levels including Railway Board, Zonal Railways, Division Office etc. As receipt  of  such  proposals/complaints/suggestions  is  a  continuous  and dynamic  process,  centralized  compendium  of  such  requests  is  not maintained. However, these are examined and action as found feasible and justified is taken from time to time.

(e): Final Location Survey for New Rail Line from Agthori to Dekargaon (155 km) via Sipajhar, Mangaldoi, Kharupetia, Dalgaon has been sanctioned.  The  field  survey  has  been  taken  up  for  preparation  of Detailed Project Report.

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