Lok Sabha Question No. 799 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-07
Subject: Pending Railway Projects in Karnataka
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Prajwal Revanna

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 799 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2024

## PENDING RAILWAY PROJECTS IN KARNATAKA

799.   SHRI PRAJWAL REVANNA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  undertake  and  complete any  pending/incomplete  railway  projects/  railway  lines  in  the state of Karnataka, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of funds sanctioned and utilised for such projects;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  launch  any  new  Vande Bharat train in the state of Karnataka, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to introduce direct train halt at Alur station in Hassan district in respect of Bangalore/Mangalore train and a train halt at Arsikere junction in respect of Vande Bharat Train, if so, the time by which it is likely to be done?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS 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. 799 BY SHRI PRAJWAL REVANNA TO BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  07.02.2024    REGARDING  PENDING RAILWAY PROJECTS IN KARNATAKA

(a)  and  (b):    Railway  projects  are  sanctioned  and  taken  up  Zonal Railway-wise and not State-wise as the Indian Railway's projects may span  across  various  State  boundaries.  However,  as  on  01.04.2023, total  31  projects  (21  new lines  and 10  Doubling) of 3,866 km  length, costing 47,346 crore falling fully/partly in the State of Karnataka are in planning/approval/construction stage.  These include:-

-  21  New  Line  Projects  of  total  length  2,583  km  at  a  cost  of 33,218 crore, out of which 366 Km length has been commissioned.
-  10 Doubling Projects of total length 1,283 km at a cost of  14,128 crore, out of which 780 Km length has been commissioned.

Railway infrastructure projects falling fully/partly in the State of Karnataka  are  covered  under  South  Western  Railway  (SWR),  Central Railway (CR), Southern Railway (SR) and South Central Railway (SCR) Zone of Indian Railway.

Since 2014, there has been substantial increase in fund allocation  and  commensurate  commissioning  of  projects  in  State  of Karnataka as under:-

| Period   | Average Outlay   | Increase w.r.t. average allocation of 2009-14   |
|----------|------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 835 crore/year   | -                                               |
| 2023-24  | 7,561 crore      | 9 times                                         |

Railways  make  all  efforts  for  optimum  use  of  allocated  fund, Total 7,561 crore has been allocated for Financial Year 2023-24 for infrastructure projects falling fully/partly in the State of Karnataka.

Commissioning  of  Infrastructure  projects  falling  fully/partly  in State of Karnataka is as under:-

| Period   | Total Track Commissioned   |
|----------|----------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 565 Km                     |
| 2014-23  | 1,566 Km                   |

Entire single line connecting Bangalore to Mumbai and Hyderabad has been sanctioned and converted into double line during last  9  years.  Miraj-Londa  (186  Km),  Hubli  -  Chichjajur  (190  Km), Arsikere  -  Tumkur  (96  Km)  and  Yelahanka-  Penukonda  (120  km)  has been sanctioned and completed in this period.

The  completion  of  any  Railway  project  depends  on  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 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. With above constraints, every effort is being made to execute the project(s) expeditiously.

(c) and (d):     At  present,  82  Vande  Bharat  train  services  are  running across the Broad Gauge (B.G.) electrified network of Indian Railways (IR).  These  include  8  Vande  Bharat  Express  serving  the  stations located  in  the  State  of  Karnataka,  on  originating/terminating  basis. Besides, provision of stoppages of existing train services and introduction of new Vande Bharat services are ongoing processes over Indian Railways subject to traffic justification, operational feasibility, resource availability, etc.

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