Lok Sabha Question No. 1609 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Ongoing Projects for Extension of Railway Network in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Navaskani K

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1609

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.12.2024

## ONGOING PROJECTS FOR EXTENSION OF RAILWAY NETWORK IN TAMIL NADU

## 1609.   SHRI NAVASKANI K:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  ongoing  projects  for  the  extension  of  the Railways network in Tamil Nadu;
- (b) new railway lines sanctioned/constructed in Tamil Nadu during the last five years;
- (c) whether the Government plans to introduce new railway lines to connect  underserved/remote  regions  in  Tamil  Nadu,  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government consider proposals for connecting industrial  and  agricultural  hubs  in  Tamil  Nadu  to  improve  freight and passenger transport;
- (e) whether  any  public-private  partnership  (PPP)  initiatives  to  fund railway  network  expansion  projects  in  the  said  State,  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (f) whether specific  projects  to  extend  railway  connectivity  to  rural and backward areas in the said State; and
- (g) the  steps  are  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  better accessibility for the people in remote districts of the said State?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (g) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1609 BY SHRI NAVASKANI K TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 04.12.2024 REGARDING ONGOING PROJECTS FOR EXTENSION OF RAILWAY NETWORK IN TAMIL NADU

(a)  to  (g):  Railway  projects  are  surveyed/  sanctioned/executed  Zonal Railway wise and not State-wise as the Railway projects may span across state boundaries. Railway projects are sanctioned  on the basis of remunerativeness, traffic projections, last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes, industrial hubs, augmentation of congested/saturated lines, demands raised by State Governments, Central Ministries, Members of  Parliament,  other  public  representatives,  Railway's  own  operational requirement, socio-economic considerations, agriculture hubs etc. depending upon throwforward of ongoing projects and overall availability of funds.

Railway  infrastructure  projects  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Tamil Nadu  are  covered  under  Southern  Railway  (SR),  South  Central  Railway (SCR) and South Western Railway (SWR) zones of Indian Railways. Zonal Railway wise details of Railway projects including cost, expenditure and outlay are made available in public domain on Indian Railway's website.

As on 01.04.2024, 22 Railways projects (10 new line, 03 Gauge conversion and 09 doubling) of total length 2,587 Km, costing ₹33,467 crore, falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu are at various stages of planning and implementation, out of which 665 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹7,153 crore has been incurred upto March' 2024. The status of work is summarized as under:-

| Plan Head               |   No. of projects |   Total Length (in Km) |   Length Commissioned (in Km) |   Expenditure upto March 2024 (₹ in Cr.) |
|-------------------------|-------------------|------------------------|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| New Line                |                10 |                    872 |                            24 |                                     1223 |
| Gauge Conversion        |                 3 |                    748 |                           604 |                                     3267 |
| Doubling /Multitracking |                 9 |                    967 |                            37 |                                     2664 |
| Total                   |                22 |                   2587 |                           665 |                                     7153 |

Survey of total 26 projects (4 New Line and 22 Doubling) of total length 2252  Km  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Tamil  Nadu  have  been sanctioned during last five year i.e. 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22,  2022-23, 2023-24 and current financial year 2024-25.

During last five years i.e. FY 2019-20, FY 2020-21, FY 2021-2022, FY 202223, FY 2023-24 and current Financial Year 2024-25, total 04 projects ( 01 New Line and 03 Doubling) of a total length of 75 Km, costing 932 crore falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Tamil  Nadu  have  been  sanctioned. Presently, no project for extension of Railway section has been sanctioned under Public -Private Partnership (PPP).

Budget  allocation  for  infrastructure  projects  and  safety  works,  falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu is as under:

| Period   | Outlay                           |
|----------|----------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | ₹879 crore/year                  |
| 2024-25  | ₹6,362 crore (more than 7 times) |

## The details of commissioning/laying of new track falling fully/partly in the State of Tamil Nadu during 2009-14 and 2014-24 is as under:

| Period   | Total Track Commissioned   |
|----------|----------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 923 Km                     |
| 2014-24  | 1,302 Km                   |

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 and the completion of a railway projects is dependent of land acquisition. However, Execution of important infrastructure  projects  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Tamil  Nadu  are held up due to delay in land acquisition. Status of land acquisition in the State of Tamil Nadu is as under:

| Total Land required for Projects in Tamil Nadu   | 3389 Ha       |
|--------------------------------------------------|---------------|
| Land Acquired                                    | 866 Ha (26%)  |
| Balance Land to be acquired                      | 2523 Ha (74%) |

Government  of  India  is  geared  up  to  execute  projects,  however  success depends  upon  the  support  of  Government  of  Tamil  Nadu.    For  instance, details of some major projects which are delayed due to land acquisition are as under:-

|   SN | Name of the project                         |   Total land required (in Ha) |   Land acquired (in Ha) |   Balance Land to be acquired (in Ha) |
|------|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|    1 | Tindivanam -Tiruvannamalai new line (71 km) |                           273 |                      33 |                                   240 |

|   2. | Attiputtu - Puttur New Line (88 km)   |   189 |   0 |   189 |
|------|---------------------------------------|-------|-----|-------|
|    3 | Morappur - Dharmapuri (36 km)         |    93 |   0 |    93 |
|    4 | Mannargudi - Pattukkottai (41 km)     |   152 |   0 |   152 |
|    5 | Thanjavur - Pattukottai (52 Km)       |   196 |   0 |   196 |

The  completion  of  any  Railway  project  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 climate conditions etc.

Various steps taken by the Government for speedy approval and implementation of rail projects include (i) setting of Gati Shakti units (ii) prioritisation of projects (iii) substantial increase in allocation of funds on priority projects, (iv) delegation of powers  at  field level, (v) close monitoring  of  progress  of  project  at  various  levels  (vi)  regular  follow  up with  State  Governments  and  concerned  authorities  for  expeditious  land acquisition, forestry and Wildlife clearances and for resolving other issues pertaining  to  projects.  This  has  led  to  substantial  increase  in  rate  of commissioning since 2014.

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