Lok Sabha Question No. 1520 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Construction of Double Track Railway line in Assam
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Phani Bhusan Choudhury

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1520 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2024

## CONSTRUCTION OF DOUBLE TRACK RAILWAY LINE IN ASSAM

1520. SHRI PHANI BHUSAN CHOUDHURY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of rail tracks in entire Assam and specially the projects concerning railway double tracks till date in Assam;
- (b) the  details  of  the  present  status  of  the  construction  of  double track conversion in between New Bongaigaon and Dibrugarh; and
- (c) any specific date or time for completion of New Bongaigaon and Dibrugarh  project and the details in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1520 BY SHRI PHANI BHUSAN CHOUDHURY  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  31.07.2024 REGARDING  CONSTRUCTION  OF  DOUBLE  TRACK  RAILWAY  LINE  IN ASSAM

(a) to (c) 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,  18  Railway  infrastructure  projects  (13  New Line and 05 doubling), of total length of 1,368 km costing ₹74,972 crore falling  fully/partly  in  North  Eastern  Region  including  Assam  are  in implementation/ concurrence stages, out of which 313 km length has been  commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of ₹40,549  crore  has  been incurred upto March 2024.

The  work  of  doubling  of  New  Bongaigaon-Dibrugarh  section  has been taken up in phases, as under:

- i. Bongaigaon-  Goalpara-  Guwahati  (176  Km.):  147.29  Km.  has been commissioned.
- ii. New Bongaigaon- Rangia- Agthori (142.97 Km.): 102.04 Km. has been commissioned.
- iii. Agthori-  Kamakhya  including  Rail  cum  Road  at  Saraighat  (7 Km.):  Preliminary  activities  for  execution  of  the  project  has been taken up.
- iv. Lumding-  Furkating  Jn.  (140  Km.):  Preliminary  activities  for execution of the project has been taken up.
- v. Furkating Jn.- Dibrugarh (241 Km.): Final Location Survey has been completed.

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 NE Region including Assam is as under: -

| Period   | Average Outlay    | Increase w.r.t. to average allocation during 2009-14   |
|----------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | ₹2,122 crore/year | -                                                      |
| 2023-24  | ₹10,269 crore     | 4.83 times                                             |
| 2024-25  | ₹10,376 crore     | 4.89 times                                             |

Commissioning  of  infrastructure  projects  falling  fully/partly  in  the  NE Region is as under:

| Period   | Total Track Commissioned   | Average Track Commissioned   | Increase w.r.t. average commissioning during 2009-14   |
|----------|----------------------------|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 333 Km                     | 66.6 km/year                 | -                                                      |
| 2014-24  | 1728 Km                    | 172.8 km/year                | 2.59 times                                             |

The completion of Railway project/s depends upon various factors like  quick  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,  completion  of  Transmission  Line  Works  by  State Power  Utilities.  All  these  factors  affect  the  completion  time  of  the project/s. Hence, time line for completion of these projects cannot be given.

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