Lok Sabha Question No. 3124 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-11
Subject: Environmental Protection and Railway Projects
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Imran Masood

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3124 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026

## ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND RAILWAY PROJECTS

## 3124. SHRI IMRAN MASOOD:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether the Government has taken any steps to ensure environmental oversight on projects given that the Environment (Protection) Act does not apply to work under Section 11 of the Railway Act, 1989;
- (b)   if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  the  internal  mechanisms  for preventing ecological damage during construction; and
- (c)   whether  there  are  any  plans  to  align  railway  expansion  with  the National  Forest  Policy  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

( a) to (c): Railways are environment friendly and energy-efficient mode of transportation, yielding substantially lower CO2 emissions. Reduction in CO2 emissions in transportation by railways as compared to transportation by road  is  as  under  (Ref:-  NITI  Aayog  Report  titled  'Fast Tracking Freight in India, June 2021'):

| Mode of transportation   | CO2 emission for transportation of 1 tonne for 1 Km   |
|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
| Road                     | 101 gm                                                |
| Rail                     | 11.5 gm (about 89% less)                              |

Shifting  of  one  MT  of  freight  from  road  to  rail  reduces  the  carbon emission by about 5.37 Crore Kg. During the period from 2014 to 2025, about  562  MT  freight  has  shifted  to  railways  which  corresponds  to reduction in carbon emission amounting to 3,018 crore kg.

As per the extant policy guidelines, Railway projects are exempted from environmental clearance. However, forestry/wild life clearances are taken from  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC), wherever the diversion of forest land is involved.

Electric  traction  is  more  environment  friendly  and  energy  efficient. Accordingly,  electrification  of  railway  network  on  Indian  Railways  has been  taken  up  in  mission  mode.  So  far,  99.4%  of  Broad  Gauge  (BG) network  has  been  electrified.  The  electrification  in  remaining  network has been taken up. Electrification carried out during 2014-25 and before 2014 is as under:

| Period                       | Route Kilometre   |
|------------------------------|-------------------|
| Before 2014 (about 60 years) | 21,801            |
| 2014-25                      | 46,900            |

Further, Indian Railways has instituted several mechanisms to minimize ecological impacts during construction and operation of projects, which inter alia include: Afforestation in coordination with State Forest Departments  where  forest  land  is  involved,  adoption  of  eco-friendly construction practices, including proper disposal of construction debris, slope  stabilization,  and  protection  of  natural  drainage,  provision  of wildlife  crossings,  animal  underpasses/overpasses  and  other  mitigation measures  in  environmentally  sensitive  areas,  wherever  required  and continuous monitoring of environmental safeguards during project implementation by concerned railway authorities.

*****