Lok Sabha Question No. 2950 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-20
Subject: Gauge Conversion of Tracks
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Guman Singh Damor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2950 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2023

## GAUGE CONVERSION OF TRACKS

## †2950. SHRI GUMAN SINGH DAMOR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  total  length  of  railway  tracks  including  broad  gauge, metre gauge and narrow gauge lines;
- (b) the  time  by  which  the  metre  gauge  and  narrow  gauge  lines are targetted to be converted into broad gauge;
- (c) the total length of double track railway lines;
- (d) the  time  by  which  the  single  track  lines  is  targetted  to  be converted into double track lines on main railway routes;
- (e) the  number  of  completed  and  under  progress  of  railway electrification projects;
- (f) the  time  by  which  the  electrification  work  of  main  railway routes is targetted to be completed;
- (g) the number of railway bridges which are more than 100 years old; and
- (h) whether there is any plan to construct new railway bridges in place  of  old  railway  bridges  which  have  completed  its  life span and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (h)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2950 BY SHRI GUMAN SINGH DAMOR TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  20.12.2023  REGARDING GAUGE CONVERSION OF TRACKS

(a) to (d): The total length of railway tracks including broad gauge, metre  gauge  and  narrow  gauge  as  on  31.03.2023  is  1,32,310  kms and total length of double line track is 26,578 kms.

As on 01.04.2023, across Indian Railways, 39 Gauge Conversion  projects  of  total  length  5,405  km,  costing  Rs.  48,580 crore are in planning/approval/construction stage, out of which 3,514 km length has been commissioned upto March, 2023.

During  2014-23,  across  Indian  Railways  5,749  km  Gauge Conversion  has  been  commissioned.  Similarly,  during  this  period, 14,337 km Doubling section have been commissioned.

During the last three years i.e. FY 2020-21, FY 2021-22, FY 2022-23  and  current  FY  2023-24,  18  no.  of  Gauge  Conversion Projects of a total length of 755 km and 94 no. Doubling Projects of a total  length  of  3373  km  have  been  sanctioned  across  Indian Railways.

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).

(e)  &  (f):  Out  of  191  projects  of  33,014  km  sanctioned  under  Plan Head 'Electrification', 151 projects of 23,299 km have been completed.  Out  of  balance  40  projects  of  9,734  km,  5308  km  has already been electrified.

The  completion  of  Electrification  project(s)  depends  on various factors like forest clearances by officials of forest department, shifting of infringing utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities, geological and topographical conditions of area, law  &  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).  As  such  the  confirmed  time  frame  for  completion  of project(s) cannot be ascertained at this stage.

(g)  &  (h):  As  on  01.04.2023  there  are  total  1,58,064  number  of Railway  Bridges  on  Indian  Railways'  Network.  All  Bridges  are maintained  in  good  physical  condition  irrespective  of  its  age  by periodic inspection & repairs. There is a well-established system of inspection of Railway bridges on IR.

Repair/Strengthening/Rehabilitation/Rebuilding of bridges are taken on the basis of inspection of bridges.

*****