Lok Sabha Question No. 424 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-27
Subject: Expansion of Railway Network in North-Eastern States
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Dilip Saikia

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 424 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.11.2024

EXPANSION OF RAILWAY NETWORK IN NORTH-EASTERN STATES

†424. SHRI DILIP SAIKIA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of projects relating to construction of new railway line  currently  underway  in  the  country  and  their  details, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the  number  of  railway  projects  implemented  in  the  country during the last ten years and their current status;
- (c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to expand the railway network in the North-Eastern States of the country;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  concrete  steps  to connect Darang district of Assam State with railway line; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof along with the  current status in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  424  BY  SHRI  DILIP  SAIKIA  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 27.11.2024 REGARDING EXPANSION OF RAILWAY NETWORK IN NORTH-EASTERN STATES

(a) to (e):   The  Railway  projects  are  surveyed/sanctioned/executed Zonal  Railway-wise  and  not  State/district-wise/region  wise  as  the Railway projects may span across state boundaries.

As  on  01.04.2024,  across  Indian  Railways  including  North  eastern region, 488 Railway Infrastructure projects (187 New Line, 40 Gauge Conversion and 261 Doubling) of total length 44,488 Km, costing approx. 7.44 lakh crore are in planning/approval/ construction  stage,  out  of  which,  12,045  Km  length  has  been commissioned and  an  expenditure  of  approx. 2.92  lakh  crore  has been incurred upto March, 2024.

The Average Annual Budget allocation for New  Line, Gauge Conversion  and  Doubling  Projects  across  Indian  Railways  is  given below:

| Period   | Average Outlay    | Increase w.r.t. average allocation of 2009-14   |
|----------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 11,527 crore/year | -                                               |
| 2024-25  | 68,634 crore      | Nearly 6 times                                  |

The  details  of  commissioning  of  New  Line,  Gauge  Conversion  and Doubling across Indian Railways is given below:-

| Period   | Total Length Commissioned   | Average Length Commissioned   | Increase w.r.t. average commissioning during 2009-14   |
|----------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 7,599 km                    | 4.2 km/day                    | -                                                      |
| 2014-24  | 31,180 km                   | 8.54 km/day                   | More than 2 times                                      |

In  2023-24,  5,309  km  sections  have  been  commissioned  across Indian Railways.

Zone-wise/year-wise  details  of  all  Railway  Projects  including  cost, expenditure  and  outlay  are  made  available  in  public  domain  on Indian Railways website.

During the last 10 years i.e. FY 2014-15 till FY 2023-24, across Indian Railways, 297 projects (New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling) of  total  length  23,352  km,  costing  approx. 2.65  lakh  crore  have been completed.

Railway infrastructural Projects in the Northeast Region are covered by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Zone of Indian Railways.

As on 01.04.2024, 18 projects (13 New Lines and 5 Doubling), of a total length of 1,368 km, costing 74,972 crore, falling fully/partly in North  Eastern  Region,  are  in  planning/approval/construction  stage, out  of  which  313  km  length  has  been  commissioned  and  an expenditure of  40,549 crore has been incurred upto March 2024.

Average  Budget  allocation  for  Infrastructure  projects  and  safety works, falling fully/ partly in North Eastern Region is as under:

| Period   | Average Outlay   | Increase w.r.t. average allocation of 2009-14   |
|----------|------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 2,122 crore/year | -                                               |
| 2024-25  | 10,376 crore     | About 5 times                                   |

Moreover, Commissioning of sections (New Lines, Gauge Conversion and Doubling) falling fully/partly in the North Eastern Region during 2009-14 and 2014-24 is as under:

| Period   | Total Length Commissioned   | Average Length Commissioned   | Increase w.r.t. average commissioning during 2009-14   |
|----------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 333 km                      | 66.6 km/Year                  | -                                                      |
| 2014-24  | 1,728 km                    | 172.8 km/Year                 | About 2.6 times                                        |

During financial year 2023-24, total 110 km has been commissioned in North Eastern Region.

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, ..P/4

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.

Final  Location  Survey  for  New  Rail  line  from  Agthori  -  Dekargaon (155  Km)  passing  through  Darrang  District  of  Assam  has  been sanctioned.

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