Lok Sabha Question No. 2590 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-07
Subject: Non-availability of Trains at Hathua Railway Station
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Alok Kumar Suman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2590 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.08.2024

## NON-AVAILABILITY OF TRAINS AT HATHUA RAILWAY STATION

- 2590 DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  fact  that  the  track  from  Hathua  Railway  Station  to Panchdevri  have  been  completed  and  thereafter  work  upto  Bhatni Junction is still pending thereby causing non-availability of trains at Hathua Railway Station;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  the  non-completion  of  underpass  of  mill  road  at  Hathua Railway Station is also reason for non-availability of train at Hathua Railway Station, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the  details  regarding  stipulated  time  for  completion  of  pending  all railway tracks in District Gopalganj of Bihar?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2590 BY DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA  ON  07.08.2024  REGARDING  NON-AVAILABILITY  OF  TRAINS  AT HATHUA RAILWAY STATION

(a) to (d): Railway  has  taken  up  Hathua-Bhatni  (80  km)  new  line  project. Hathua-Panchdeori (31 km) section has been commissioned. Hathua station is  presently  being  served  by  07  pairs  of  passenger  services,  including 05241/42 Hajipur-Panchdeori Passenger serving the Hathua-Panchdeori section.  Besides,  introduction  of  trains  services  is  an  ongoing  process  on Indian Railways subject to traffic justification, operational feasibility, competing demands etc.

No underpass work is sanctioned/under construction on  Mill Road which is affecting train operation at Hathua railway station.

The  Railway  projects  are  sanctioned/executed  Zonal  Railway-wise  and  not State-wise/District-wise as the Railways' projects may span across State/District  boundaries.  As  on  01.04.2024,  total  55  Railway  Infrastructure Projects (31 New Line, 02 Gauge Conversion and 22 Doubling), of total length of  5,064  km,  costing  ₹79,356  crore  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Bihar including Gopalganj district are in planning/approval/construction stages, out of  which  1,194  km  length  has  been  commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ₹26,983 crore has been incurred upto March, 2024. These include:

- (i) 31 New Line (NL) projects of total length of 2,712 km costing ₹43,536 crore,  out  of  which  464  km  length  has  been  commissioned  and  an expenditure of ₹13,629 crore has been incurred upto March, 2024.
- (ii) 2  Gauge  Conversion  (GC)  projects  of  total  length  of  348  km  costing ₹2,690 crore, out of which 288 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹1,520 crore has been incurred upto March, 2024.

- (iii) 22  Doubling  (DL)  projects  of  total  length  of  2004  km  costing  ₹33,130 crore,  out  of  which  442  km  length  has  been  commissioned  and  an expenditure of ₹11,834 crore has been incurred upto March, 2024.

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 Bihar is as under:

| Period   | Budget Outlay     | Increase w.r.t. average annual allocation of 2009-14   |
|----------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | ₹1,132 crore/year | -                                                      |
| 2023-24  | ₹8,505 crore      | More than 7 times                                      |
| 2024-25  | ₹10,033 crore     | More than 8 times                                      |

Moreover, Commissioning of sections (NL, GC and DL) falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar is as under:

| Period   | Total Commissioning   | Average Commissioning   | Increase w.r.t. average commissioning during 2009-14   |
|----------|-----------------------|-------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 318 km                | 64 km/year              | -                                                      |
| 2014-24  | 1,669 km              | 167 km/year             | More than 2 times                                      |

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.

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