Lok Sabha Question No. 2292 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: Expansion of Railway Line
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Ajay Bhatt

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2292 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2025

## EXPANSION OF RAILWAY LINE

†2292. SHRI AJAY BHATT:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  any  plans  for  the  expansion  of  new railway lines and introduction of new trains in Uttarakhand;
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the project-wise details of the total amount allocated to Uttarakhand for new railway projects during the last three years and the current year?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (c)  :  Railway  projects  are  surveyed/  sanctioned/executed  Zonal Railway  wise  and  not  State-wise  as  the  Railway'  projects  may  span across State boundaries. Railway projects are sanctioned on the basis of remunerativeness,  traffic  projections,  last  mile  connectivity,  missing links  and  alternate  routes,  augmentation  of  congested/saturated  lines, demands raised by  State  Governments,  Central  Ministries, Members  of Parliament,  other  public  representatives,  Railway's  own  operational requirement, socio-economic considerations etc. depending upon throwforward of ongoing projects and overall availability of funds.

New Lines projects falling fully/partly in Uttarakhand are covered under Northern Railway (NR) and North Eastern Railway (NER) Zones of Indian Railways.  Zonal  Railway wise details  of  projects  including  their  cost, expenditure, outlay  are  made  available  in  public  domain  on  Indian Railways website.

During  the  last  three  years  i.e.  2021-22,  2022-23,  2023-24  and  the current FY 2024-25, 05 surveys (03 New Line and 02 Doubling) of a total length of 319 km have been sanctioned falling fully/partly in the state of Uttarakhand.

As on 01.04.2024, 03 New Line Railway projects of total length of 216 Km costing ₹25,941 crore falling fully/partly in the State of Uttarakhand, are  at  various  stages  of  planning  and  implementation, out of which 06 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹15,777 crore has been incurred upto March 2024.

The status of work is summarized as under:-

| Plan Head   |   No. of projects |   Total Length (in Km) |   Length Commissione d (in Km) |   Expenditure March (₹in Cr) | upto 2024   |
|-------------|-------------------|------------------------|--------------------------------|------------------------------|-------------|
| New Lines   |                03 |                    216 |                             06 |                        15777 |             |
| Total       |                03 |                    216 |                             06 |                        15777 |             |

Since 2014, there has been substantial increase in Budget allocation and commensurate commissioning of projects. Annual Budget allocation for Infrastructure and  other works,  falling fully/partly in the State of Uttarakhand is as under:-

| Period   | Outlay                            |
|----------|-----------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | Rs. 187 Cr./Yr                    |
| 2024-25  | Rs. 5131 Cr. (More than 27 times) |

As  the  Railway  network  straddles  across  state  boundaries,  trains  are introduced, as per network requirement, across such boundaries. However, to cater to the needs of passengers of stations located in the State  of  Uttarakhand,  14  new  trains  including  22545/46  LucknowDehradun Vande Bharat  Express and 22457/58 Anand Vihar (T)-Dehradun Vande Bharat Express have been introduced, on originating/terminating basis, during 2023-24 to 2024-2025 (upto February, 2025).

Besides,  introduction  of  new  trains  is  an  on-going  process  on  Indian Railways subject to operational feasibility, traffic justification, availability of resources etc.

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