Lok Sabha Question No. 786 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-07
Subject: Railway connectivity to Cities
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: M. P. Abdussamad Samadani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 786 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2024

## RAILWAY CONNECTIVITY TO CITIES

786.    DR. M.P. ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any survey in the state of  Kerala  to  provide  railway  Connectivity  to  the  cities  with  a population of more than fifty thousand that do not have railway connectivity;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  steps  taken  or  proposed  to  be  taken  to  provide  railway connectivity in these cities?

## 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. 786 BY DR. M.P. ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON 07.02.2024  REGARDING RAILWAY CONNECTIVITY TO CITIES

(a) to (c): The Railway projects are surveyed/sanctioned/executed Zonal  Railway-wise  and  not  State-wise/Region-wise  as  the  Railways' projects  may  span  across  State  boundaries.  Sanctioning  of  Railway projects  is  a  continuous  and  dynamic  process  of  Indian  Railway. Railway Infrastructure Projects are taken up on the basis of remunerativeness,  last  mile  connectivity,  missing  links  and  alternate routes,  augmentation  of  congested/saturated  lines  socio-economic considerations  etc.  depending  upon  liabilities  of  ongoing  projects, overall availability of funds and competing demands.

In  last  3  years  (2020-21,  2021-22,  2022-23  and current Financial Years  2023-24),  3  surveys  of  length  410  km  (New  line  &  Doubling) falling fully/partly in the State of Kerala have been sanctioned.

As  on  01.04.2023,  07  projects  (2  new  lines  and  05  Doubling)  of 409 km length, costing 9,437 crore falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of Kerala  are  in  planning/approval/construction  stage.  An  expenditure  of 2,286 crore has been incurred upto March 2023.  These include:-

- 02 New Line Projects of total length 146 km at a cost of 2,953 crore and an expenditure of 311 crore has been incurred upto March 2023.

- 05 Doubling Projects of total length 263 km at a cost of 6,483 crore and an expenditure of 1,975 crore has been incurred upto March 2023.

Though  fund  allocation  has  increased  manifold  but  pace  of execution  of  project  is  dependent  on  expeditious  land  acquisition. Railway acquires the land through State Government. State Government   assesses   the compensation   amount   and   advises to Railway.  On  receipt  of  demand  from  State  Government,  Railway deposits compensation amount with concerned District Land acquisition Authority.

Execution  of  important  infrastructure  projects  falling  fully/partly in  the  State  of  Kerala  is  held up due  to delay in land  acquisition and only about 25.45 Ha land has been acquired out of total requirement of about 126.91 Ha.

Railway had initiated efforts for acquisition of land but could not succeed in acquiring land for projects.  Support of the Government of Kerala is needed to expedite the land acquisition.

Since 2014, there has been substantial increase in fund allocation and  commensurate  commissioning  of  projects  in  State  of  Kerala. Average annual Budget allocation for Infrastructure and safety works, falling fully/ partly in the State of Kerala is as under:-

| Period   | Average Outlay   | Increase w.r.t. average allocation of 2009-14   |
|----------|------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 372 crore/year   | -                                               |
| 2023-24  | 2,033 crore      | 5.5 times                                       |

- -3-

Commissioning  of  Infrastructure  projects  falling  fully/partly  in State of Kerala is as under:-

| Period   | Total Track Commissioned   | Average Track Commissioned   | Increase w.r.t. average allocation of 2009-14   |
|----------|----------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 53 Km                      | 10.6 Km/Year                 | -                                               |
| 2014-23  | 125 Km                     | 13.89 Km/Year                | 1.3 times                                       |

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