Lok Sabha Question No. 369 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-24
Subject: Railway Projects in Maharashtra
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Sanjay Dina Patil, Shri Bhaskar Murlidhar Bhagare, Shri Aashtikar Patil Nagesh Bapurao, Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke, Shri Mohite Patil Dhairyasheel Rajsinh, Smt. Supriya Sule, Dr. Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad, Shri Bajrang Manohar Sonwane

(a) to (e):

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 369

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2024

## RAILWAY PROJECTS IN MAHARASHTRA

369     SHRI SANJAY DINA PATIL:

SHRI BHASKAR MURLIDHAR BHAGARE:

SHRI AASHTIKAR PATIL NAGESH BAPURAO:

SHRI NILESH DNYANDEV  LANKE:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL DHAIRYASHEEL RAJSINH:

SMT. SUPRIYA SULE:

DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:

PROF. VARSHA EKNATH GAIKWAD:

SHRI BAJRANG MANOHAR SONWANE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  new  railway  projects  that  were  announced  for Maharashtra during the last three years;
- (b)  the details of the number of projects, out of these, commissioned so far and the budgetary allocations made for the same;
- (c)  the status of those projects which have not been commissioned and the time by which these would be commissioned;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  a  large  area  is  still deprived of rail connectivity in Maharashtra; and
- (e)   if  so,  the  details  thereof,  project-wise  along  with  the  time  by which the works on these projects are likely to be started?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 369 BY SHRI SANJAY DINA PATIL, SHRI BHASKAR MURLIDHAR BHAGARE, SHRI AASHTIKAR PATIL NAGESH BAPURAO,   SHRI NILESH DNYANDEV  LANKE, SHRI MOHITE PATIL DHAIRYASHEEL RAJSINH, SMT. SUPRIYA SULE, DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE,  PROF.  VARSHA  EKNATH  GAIKWAD  AND  SHRI  BAJRANG MANOHAR  SONWANE  TO  BE ANSWERED  IN LOK SABHA ON 24.07.2024 REGARDING RAILWAY PROJECTS IN MAHARASHTRA

(a) to (e): Railway  projects  are  sanctioned  Zonal  Railway-wise  and not State-wise or Region-wise as Indian Railways' projects may span across State boundaries.

As  on  01.04.2024,  41  Railway  infrastructure  projects  (16  New Line, 02 Gauge Conversion and 23 Doubling), of total length of 5,877 km costing ₹81,580 crore falling fully/partly in the State of Maharashtra are at various stage of planning and implementation, out of which 1,926 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹31,236 crore has been incurred upto March 2024. These include-

- (i) 16 New Line projects of total length of 2,017 km costing ₹38,423 crore,  out  of  which  166  km  length  has  been  commissioned  and  an expenditure of ₹8,529 crore has been incurred upto March 2024.
- (ii) 2  Gauge Conversion projects of total length of 609 km costing ₹7,339 crore, out of which 312 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹3,332 crore has been incurred upto March 2024.
- (iii) 23 Doubling projects of total length of 3,251 km costing ₹35,818 crore, out of which 1,448 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹19,376 crore has been incurred upto March 2024.

Further, to avoid congestions on suburban corridors and to meet the  future  demands,  MUTP-III  costing  Rs.  10,947  crores  and  MUTPIIIA costing Rs. 33,690 crores have been sanctioned. These projects include following additional 10 rail links :

|   S.No. | Name of project                                         |   Cost (₹ in crore) |
|---------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
|       1 | 5th & 6th Line CSTM-Kurla (17.5 km)                     |                 891 |
|       2 | 6th Line Mumbai Central-Borivali (30 km),               |                 919 |
|       3 | Panvel-Karjat Suburban corridor (29.6 km)               |                2782 |
|       4 | Airoli-Kalwa (elevated) suburban corridor link (3.3 km) |                 476 |
|       5 | Quadrupling of Virar-Dahanu Road 3rd & 4th Line (64 km) |                3587 |
|       6 | Extension of Harbour Line Goregaon-Borivali (7 km),     |                 826 |
|       7 | 5th & 6th line Borivali-Virar (26 km)                   |                2184 |
|       8 | 4th line between Kalyan-Asangaon (32 km)                |                1759 |
|       9 | 3rd & 4th line between Kalyan-Badlapur (14.05 km)       |                1510 |
|      10 | Kalyan Yard-Segregation of Main Line & Suburban         |                 866 |

All these MUTP projects have been sanctioned on cost sharing basis 50:50  between Ministry of Railways and Government  of Maharashtra. However, Maharashtra Govt. was not providing requisite funds on time as per the commitment till 2022-23, resulting in delay in completion of the projects. Government of Maharashtra has started funding for MUTP 3A projects from April 2023.

Since 2014, there has been substantial increase in fund allocation  and  commensurate  commissioning  of  projects  across Indian  Railways.  Budget  allocation  for  Infrastructure  projects  and safety  works  falling  fully/partly  in  the  state  of  Maharashtra  is  as under:-

| Period   | Average Outlay     | Increase w.r.t. to average allocation during 2009-14   |
|----------|--------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | ₹1,171 crore/year  | -                                                      |
| 2014-24  | ₹ 7,197 crore/year | 6.1 times                                              |
| 2023-24  | ₹13,539 crore      | 11.56 times                                            |

Commissioning  of  infrastructure  projects  falling  fully/partly  in the State of Maharashtra is as under:

| Period   | Total Track Commissioned   | Average Track Commissioned   | Increase w.r.t. average commissioning during 2009-14   |
|----------|----------------------------|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 292 Km                     | 58.4 km/year                 | -                                                      |
| 2014-24  | 1830 Km                    | 183 km/year                  | 3.13 times                                             |

In  2023-24  total  358  kms  have  been  commissioned  which  is more  than  6  times  as  compared  to  average  commissioning  during 2009-14.

Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors like 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.  All  these  factors  affect  the  completion  time  of  the project/s.

Various steps taken by the Government for effective and speedy implementation  of  rail  projects  include  (i)  substantial  increase  in allocation of funds, (ii) delegation of powers at field level, (iii) close monitoring of progress of project at various levels (iv) 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.

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