Lok Sabha Question No. 666 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-03
Subject: New Railway Projects for Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske, Smt. Bharti Pardhi, Shri Ravindra Dattaram Waikar, Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 666 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.12.2025

## NEW RAILWAY PROJECTS FOR MAHARASHTRA AND MADHYA PRADESH

666.  DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE:

SMT. BHARTI PARDHI:

SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR: SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  assessed  the  current  status  of  passenger safety, punctuality and cleanliness and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the steps taken/being taken by the Government during the last three years to modernise stations, introduce digital ticketing and improve passenger amenities, State/UT-wise;
- (c) whether  plans  exist  to  expand  connectivity  to  remote,  hilly  and  border regions to promote regional development and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the measures implemented/being implemented to reduce fright delays and promote cost-effective transport for farmers and small businesses;
- (e) the funds allocated for new projects to Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh including  Balaghat  Lok  Sabha  Constituency  during  the  last  three  years  and  the current year in Mumbai suburban network, Project-wise; and
- (f) whether  a  long-term  roadmap  exists  for  sustainable  operations  including 100 per cent electrification and carbon footprint reduction and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (f):  Safety  is  accorded  the  highest  priority  on  Indian  Railways.  As  a consequence of various safety measures taken over the years, there has been a

steep  decline  in  the  number  of  accidents.  Consequential  Train  Accidents  have reduced from 135 in 2014-15 to 31 in 2024-25 as shown in the graph below.

It  may  be  noted  that  the  Consequential  Train Accidents during the period 2004-14 was 1711 (average 171 per annum), which has declined to 31 in 2024-25 and further to 11 in 2025-26 (upto November, 2025).

Another  important  index  showing  improved  safety  in  train  operations  is Accidents Per Million Train Kilometer (APMTKM) which has reduced from 0.11 in 2014-15 to 0.03 in 2024-25, indicating an improvement of approx. 73% during the said period.

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## Safety Measures:-

The various safety measures taken to enhance safety in train operations are as under:-

1. On  Indian  Railways,  the  expenditure  on  Safety  related  activities  has increased over the years as under:-
2. Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralized operation of points and signals have been provided at 6,656 stations up to 31.10.2025 to reduce accident due to human failure.
3. Interlocking  of  Level  Crossing (LC) Gates  has  been  provided  at  10,098  Level Crossing Gates up to 31.10.2025 for enhancing safety at LC Gates.
4. Complete  Track  Circuiting  of  stations  to  enhance  safety  by  verification  of track occupancy by electrical means has been provided at 6,661 stations up to 31.10.2025.
5. Kavach  is  a highly  technology  intensive system,  which  requires  safety certification of highest order. Kavach was adopted as a National ATP system in  July  2020.  Kavach  is  provided  progressively  in  phased  manner.  Initially, Kavach Version 3.2 was deployed on 1465 RKm of South Central Railway and 80  RKm  of  North  Central  Railway.  Kavach  specification  Version  4.0  was approved by RDSO on 16.07.2024.After extensive and elaborate trials, Kavach Version  4.0  has  been  successfully  commissioned  on  Palwal-Mathura-KotaNagda  section  (633Rkm)  on  Delhi-Mumbai  route  and  on  Howrah-Bardhaman section  (105RKm)on  Delhi-Howrah  route.  Kavach  implementation  has  been taken up in balance sections of Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah route. Further, Kavach implementation has been taken up on 15,512 RKm covering all GQ, GD, HDN and identified sections of Indian Railways.
6. Detailed instructions on issues related with safety of Signalling, e.g. mandatory  correspondence  check,  alteration  work  protocol,  preparation  of completion drawing, etc. have been issued.
7. System of disconnection and reconnection for S&T equipment as per protocol has been re-emphasized.
8. All locomotives are equipped with Vigilance Control Devices (VCD) to improve alertness of Loco Pilots.
9. Retro-reflective sigma boards are provided on the mast which is located two OHE masts prior to the signals in electrified territories to alert the crew about the signal ahead when visibility is low due to foggy weather.
10. A GPS based Fog Safety Device (FSD) is provided to loco pilots in fog affected areas  which  enables  loco  pilots  to  know  the  distance  of  the  approaching landmarks like signals, level crossing gates, etc.
11. Modern track structure consisting of 60kg, 90 Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) rails,  Prestressed  Concrete  Sleeper  (PSC)  Normal/Wide  base  sleepers  with elastic fastening, fan shaped layout turnout on PSC sleepers, Steel Channel/Hbeam  Sleepers  on  girder  bridges  is  used  while  carrying  out  primary  track renewals.
12. Mechanisation  of  track  laying  activity  through  use  of  track  machines  like PQRS, TRT, T-28 etc. to reduce human errors.
13. Maximizing  supply  of  130m/260m  long  rail  panels  for  increasing  progress  of rail renewal and avoiding welding of joints, thereby improving safety.
14. Ultrasonic Flaw Detection (USFD) testing of rails to detect flaws and timely removal of defective rails.
15. Laying  of  longer  rails,  minimizing  the  use  of  Alumino  Thermic  Welding  and adoption of better welding technology for rails i.e., Flash Butt Welding.
16. Monitoring of track geometry by OMS (Oscillation Monitoring System) and TRC (Track Recording Cars).
17. Patrolling of railway tracks to look out for weld/rail fractures.
18. The use of Thick Web Switches and Weldable CMS Crossing in turnout renewal works.
19. Inspections at regular intervals are carried out to monitor and educate staff for observance of safe practices.
20. Web based online monitoring system of track assets viz. Track database and decision support system has been adopted to decide rationalized maintenance requirement and optimize inputs.
21. Detailed  instructions  on  issues  related  with  safety  of  Track,  e.g.  integrated block, corridor block, worksite safety, monsoon precautions, etc. have been issued.
22. Preventive maintenance of railway assets (Coaches & Wagons) is undertaken to ensure safe train operations.
23. Replacement of conventional ICF design coaches with LHB design coaches is being done.
24. All unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on Broad Gauge (BG) route have been eliminated by January 2019.
25. Safety  of  Railway  Bridges  is  ensured  through  regular  inspection  of  Bridges. The requirement of repair/rehabilitation of Bridges is taken up based upon the conditions assessed during these inspections.
26. Indian Railways has displayed Statutory 'Fire Notices' for  widespread passenger information in all coaches. Fire posters are provided in every coach so  as  to  educate  and  alert  passengers  regarding  various  Do's  and  Don'ts  to prevent fire. These include messages regarding not carrying any inflammable material, explosives, prohibition of smoking inside the coaches, penalties etc.
27. Production Units are providing Fire detection and suppression system in newly manufactured Power Cars and Pantry Cars, Fire and Smoke detection system in  newly manufactured coaches. Progressive fitment of the same in existing coaches is also underway by Zonal Railways in a phased manner.
28. Regular counselling and training of staff is undertaken.
29. Concept of Rolling Block introduced in Indian Railways (Open Lines) General Rules vide Gazette notification dated 30.11.2023, wherein work of integrated maintenance/repair/replacement  of  assets  is  planned  up  to  52  weeks  in advance on rolling basis and executed as per plan.

| Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2013-14                                                        | 2022-23                                                        | 2023-24                                                        | 2024-25                                                        | 2025-26                                                        |
| (Act.)                                                         | (Act.)                                                         | (Act.)                                                         |                                                                |                                                                |
| 39,463                                                         | 87,327                                                         | 1,01,651                                                       | 1,14,022                                                       | 1,16,470                                                       |

The  details  of  the  Safety  related  works  related  to  better  maintenance practices,  Technological  improvements,  better  infrastructure  and  rolling  stock etc. undertaken by Railways are tabulated below:-

| S.N.   | Item                                   | 2004-05 to 2013-14         | 2014-15 to 2024-25   | 2014-25 Vs. 2004-14   |
|--------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------|-----------------------|
|        | Technological Improvements             | Technological Improvements |                      |                       |
| 1.     | Use of high-quality rails (60 Kg) (Km) | 57,450 Km                  | 1.43 Lakh Km         | More than 2 times     |
| 2.     | Longer Rail Panels (260m) (Km)         | 9,917 Km                   | 77,522 Km            | Nearly 8 times        |

| 3.   | Electronic Interlocking (Stations)                        | 837 Stations                            | 3,691 Stations                                   | More than 4 times                       |
|------|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 4.   | Fog Pass Safety Devices (Nos.)                            | As on 31.03.14: 90 Nos.                 | As on 31.03.25: 25,939 Nos.                      | 288 times                               |
| 5.   | Thick Web Switches (Nos.)                                 | Nil                                     | 28,301 Nos.                                      |                                         |
|      | Better Maintenance Practices                              | Better Maintenance Practices            | Better Maintenance Practices                     | Better Maintenance Practices            |
| 1.   | Primary Rail Renewal (Track Km)                           | 32,260 Km                               | 49,941 Km                                        | 1.5 times                               |
| 2.   | USFD (Ultra Sonic Flaw detection) Testing of Welds (Nos.) | 79.43 Lakh                              | 2 Cr.                                            | More than 2 times                       |
| 3.   | Weld failures (Nos.)                                      | In 2013-14: 3699 Nos.                   | In 2024-25: 370 Nos.                             | 90 % reduction                          |
| 4.   | Rail fractures (Nos.)                                     | In 2013-14: 2548 Nos.                   | In 2024-25: 289 Nos.                             | More than 88% reduction                 |
|      | Better Infrastructure and Rolling Stock                   | Better Infrastructure and Rolling Stock | Better Infrastructure and Rolling Stock          | Better Infrastructure and Rolling Stock |
| 1.   | New Track KM added (Track Km)                             | 14,985 Km                               | 34,428 Km                                        | More than 2 times                       |
| 2.   | Flyovers (RoBs)/ Underpasses (RUBs) (Nos.)                | 4,148 Nos.                              | 13,808 Nos.                                      | More than 3 times                       |
| 3.   | Unmanned Level crossings (Nos.) on BG                     | As on 31.03.14: 8,948                   | As on 31.03.24: Nil (All eliminated by 31.01.19) | Removed                                 |
| 4.   | Manufacture of LHB Coaches (Nos.)                         | 2,337 Nos.                              | 42,677                                           | More than 18 times                      |

## Punctuality:-

Indian  Railways  makes  all  possible  efforts  to  run  trains  on  time.  Several factors  affect  punctual  running  of  trains  which  include  foggy  weather,  path constraints,  asset  maintenance,  alarm  chain  pulling,  agitations,  cattle  run  over and other unforeseen circumstances.

Based on assessments of factors affecting the punctual running of trains, remedial  measures,  both  short  term  and  long  term,  are  taken  which  include capacity augmentation of rail network, upgradation of track and signaling system, removing  operational bottlenecks, yard remodeling  etc. Due  to  the  above measures, the overall  punctuality  of  trains  during  2025-26  (upto  October,  2025) has been about 80%.

## Cleanliness:-

- I. Cleanliness and housekeeping of trains & stations is a continuous process and  Indian  Railways  make  every  endeavor  to  keep  trains  &  stations  in properly maintainedandcleancondition.
- II. To ensure cleanliness, regular checks/surprise checks/surprise checks are conducted by supervisors/senior officials at Divisional, Zonal & Headquarter level with special focus on general class.
- III. Special Cleanliness Campaigns under Swatch Bharat Abhiyan and cleanliness drives/campaigns are organized regularly over Indian Railways with the objective to achieve significant and sustainable improvements in cleanliness standards.
- IV. Regular  monitoring  is  also  ensured  through  Rail  Madad  portal  which  has been  developed  to  enable  passengers  to  highlight  their  needs  and  seek assistance on passenger amenities, cleanliness, etc.

## Station Modernisation and Passenger Amenities:-

Modernization/upgradation of Railway Stations is undertaken under various modernization schemes. At present, stations are developed under 'Amrit Bharat Station Scheme' which envisages development of stations on a continuous basis with  a  long  term  approach.  Ministry  of  Railways  has  launched  'Amrit  Bharat Station Scheme' for redevelopment of stations with a long-term approach.

The scheme involves preparation of master plans and their implementation  in  phases  to  improve  the  stations.  The  master  planning includes:-

-  Improvement of access to station and circulating areas
-  Integration of station with both sides of city
-  Improvement of station building
-  Improvement of waiting halls, toilets, sitting arrangement, water booths
-  Provision  of  wider  foot  over  bridge/air  concourse  commensurate  with passenger traffic
-  Provision of lift/escalators/ramp
-  Improvement/Provision of platform surface and cover over platforms
-  Provision of kiosks for local products through schemes like 'One Station One Product'
-  Parking areas, Multimodal integration
-  Amenities for Divyangjans
-  Better passenger information systems
-  Provision of executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings,  landscaping,  etc.  keeping  in  view  the  necessity  at  each station.

The  scheme  also  envisages sustainable and environment  friendly solutions,  provision  of  ballastless  tracks  etc.  as  per  necessity,  phasing  and feasibility and creation of city centre at the station in the long term.

So far, 1,337 stations have been identified for development under 'Amrit Bharat Station Scheme', out of which 132 stations are located in the State of Maharashtra and 80 stations are located in the State of Madhya Pradesh. The names  of  stations  identified  for  development  under  'Amrit  Bharat  Station Scheme' in the State of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are as following:-

| State       |   No. of Amrit Stations | Names of Amrit Stations                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|-------------|-------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Maharashtra |                     132 | Ahmednagar, Ajni (Nagpur), Akalkot Road, Akola, Akurdi, Amalner, Amgaon, Amravati, Andheri, Badnera, Balharshah, Bandra Terminus, Baramati, Belapur, Bhandara Road, Bhokar, Bhusawal, Borivali, Byculla, Chalisgaon, Chanda Fort, Chandrapur, Charni Road, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Chinchpokli, Chinchwad, Dadar (CR), Dadar (WR), Dahisar, Daund, Dehu Road, Devlali, Dhamangaon, Dharangaon, Dharashiv, Dharmabad , Dhule, Diva, |

| State          | No. of Amrit Stations   | Names of Amrit Stations                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|----------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                |                         | Dudhani, Gangakher, Godhani, Gondia, Grant Road, Hadapsar, Hatkanangale, Hazur Sahib Nanded, Himayatnagar, Hinganghat, Hingoli Deccan, Igatpuri, Jalgaon, Jalna, Jeur, Jogeshwari, Kalyan Jn, Kamptee, Kandivali, Kanjur Marg, Karad, Katol, Kedgaon, Kinwat, Kopargaon, Kurduwadi Jn, Kurla Jn, Lasalgaon, Latur, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Lonand Jn, Lonavla, Lower Parel, Malad, Malkapur, Manmad Jn, Manwath Road , Marine Lines, Matunga, Miraj Jn, Mudkhed Jn, Mumbai Central, Mumbra, Murtizapur Jn, Nagarsol, Nagpur Jn, Nandgaon, Nandura, Nandurbar, Narkher Jn, Nashik Road, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Itwari Junction, Pachora Jn, Palghar, Pandharpur, Panvel Jn, Parbhani Jn, Parel, Parli Vaijnath, Partur , Phaltan, Prabhadevi, Pulgaon Jn, Pune Jn, Purna Jn, Raver, Rotegaon , Sainagar Shirdi, Sandhurst Road, Sangli, Satara, Savda, Selu, Sewagram, Shahad, Shegaon, Shivaji Nagar Pune, Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur, Solapur, Talegaon, Thakurli, Thane, Titvala, Tumsar Road, Umri, Uruli, Vadala Road, Vidyavihar, Vikhroli, Wadsa, Wardha, Washim, |
| Madhya Pradesh | 80                      | Akodia, Amla, Anuppur, Ashoknagar, Balaghat, Banapura, Bargawan, Beohari, Berchha, Betul, Bhind, Bhopal, Bijuri, Bina, BiyavraRajgarh, Chhindwara, Dabra, Damoh, Datia, Dewas,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |

| State   | No. of Amrit Stations   | Names of Amrit Stations                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|---------|-------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         |                         | Gadarwara, Ganjbasoda, Ghoradongri, Guna, Gwalior, Harda, Harpalpur, Indore Jn, Itarsi Jn, Jabalpur, Junnor Deo, Kareli, Katni Jn, KatniMurwara, Katni South, Khachrod, Khajuraho Jn, Khandwa, Khirkiya, Laxmi Bai Nagar, Maihar, Maksi Jn, Mandla Fort, Mandsor, MCS Chhatarpur, Meghnagar, Morena, Multai, Nagda Jn, Nainpur Jn, Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad), Narsinghpur, Nepanagar, Nimuch, Orchha, Pandhurna, Pipariya, Ratlam, Rewa, Ruthiyai, Sanchi, Sant Hirdaram Nagar, Satna, Saugor, Sehore, Seoni, Shahdol, Shajapur, Shamgarh, Sheopur Kalan, Shivpuri, Shridham, Shujalpur, Sihora Road, Singrauli, Tikamgarh, Ujjain, Umaria, Vidisha, Vikramgarh Alot |

Development works at railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in the state of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have been taken up at a good pace. Details of works completed in the states are as under:-

| State          |   No. of Stations completed | Name of Stations                                                                                                                                                                        |
|----------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Maharashtra    |                          15 | Amgaon, Chanda Fort, Chinchpokli, Devlali, Dhule, Kedgaon, Lasalgaon, Lonand Jn, Matunga, Murtizapur Jn, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Itwari Junction, Parel, Savda, Shahad, Vadala Road |
| Madhya Pradesh |                          06 | Katni South, Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad), Orchha, Seoni, Shajapur, Shridham                                                                                                              |

The  works  at  other  stations  have  also  been  taken  up  at  good  pace  and progress of some of the above stations is as given below:-

## Maharashtra:-

-  Wathar  Station:  The  works  of  new  portico,  improvement  of  station  building, water booth, new main entry gate, parking area, circulating area, improvement  of  entrance  lobby,  compound  wall  of  parking  area,  platform shelter  at  platform  no.  1,  platform  surfacing,  improvement  of  waiting  room, signages and station illumination have been completed. The finishing works have been taken up.
-  Nandgaon Station: The works of entrance and exit gate, platform surfacing, platform  shelter,  improvement  of  station  building,  booking  office,  Foot  Over Bridge,  boundary  wall,  circulating  area,  parking  area,  signage  and  lighting have been completed. The finishing works have been taken up.
-  Nandura Station: The works of platform surfacing, platform shelter,  booking office,  entrance  gate,  improvement  of  waiting  hall,  toilet,  station  building, circulating  area,  parking  area,  signages,  coach  indication  board,  station illumination  and  boundary  wall  have  been  completed.  The  finishing  works have been taken up.
-  Hadapsar Station: The works of new station building, waiting hall, 12 m Foot Over  Bridge,  underground  tank,  platform  shelter,  improvement  of  platform surfacing, circulating area, station illumination, signages, lifts, escalators and landscaping have been completed. The finishing works have been taken up.
-  Baramati Station: The works of platform shelter, septic tank, toilet, compound wall, water booth, improvement of booking office, platform surfacing, waiting room,  portico,  circulating  area,  signages  and  station  illumination  have  been completed. The finishing works have been taken up.

## Madhya Pradesh:-

-  Nainpur Station: The works of improvement of station building, waiting hall, circulating area, toilet, platform shelters, platform surfacing, coach indication board, train indication board and 12 m Foot Over Bridge have been completed. The finishing works have been taken up.
-  Umaria  Station:  The  works  of  improvement  of  station  building,  waiting  hall, Passenger  Reservation  System  (PRS),  parking  area,  approach  roads,  toilet, signages, coach indication board, train indication board and 12 m Foot Over Bridge have been completed. The finishing works have been taken up.
-  MCS  Chhatarpur  Station:  The  works  of  improvement  of  station  building, waiting  hall,  platform  shelter,  platform  surfacing,  toilet,  circulating  area, parking area and 12 m Foot Over Bridge have been completed. The finishing works have been taken up.
-  Mandla  Fort  Station:  The  works  of  improvement  of  station  building,  waiting hall, parking area, platform shelters, platform surfacing, signages, Passenger Announcement System, lifts and 12 m Foot Over Bridge have been completed. The finishing works have been taken up.
-  Junnor Deo Station: The works of booking office, waiting hall, porch, platform shelter, improvement of station building, circulating area, parking area, lifts, signages  and  12  m  Foot  Over  Bridge  have  been  completed.  The  finishing works have been taken up.

Further, development/redevelopment/upgradation/modernization of stations on Indian Railways is a continuous and ongoing process and works in this regard are undertaken  as  per  requirement,  subject  to  inter-se  priority  and  availability  of funds.  The  priority  for  development/redevelopment/upgradation/modernisation  of stations is accorded to higher category of station over lower category of station while sanctioning and executing the works.

Development/upgradation/modernisation  of  stations  including  under  'Amrit Bharat  Station  Scheme'  is  generally  funded  under  Plan  Head-53  'Customer

Amenities'.  The  details  of  allocation  and  expenditure  under  Plan  Head-53  are maintained Zonal Railway-wise and not work-wise, or station-wise or state-wise.

The state of Maharashtra is covered under the jurisdiction of four railway zones,  namely,  Central  Railway,  South  Central  Railway,  South  East  Central Railway  and  Western  Railway.  For  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year,  ₹ 11,190  Cr.  has  been  allocated  while  an  expenditure  of  ₹  9,198  Cr.  has  been incurred during the last three years and current year (up to October, 2025).

The  state  of  Madhya  Pradesh  is  covered  under  the  jurisdiction  of  seven railway  zones,  namely,  Central  Railway,  East  Central  Railway,  North  Central Railway,  South  Central  Railway,  South  East  Central,  Western  Railway  and  West Central Railway. For the last three years and the current year, ₹ 17,294 Cr. has been allocated while an expenditure of ₹ 14,008 Cr. has been incurred during the last three years and current year (up to October, 2025).

Development/Upgradation of railway stations is complex in nature involving safety of passengers & trains and requires various statutory clearances such as fire  clearance,  heritage,  tree  cutting,  air-port  clearance  etc.  The  progress  also gets  affected  due  to  brownfield  related  challenges  such  as  shifting  of  utilities (involving  water/sewage  lines,  optical  fiber  cables,  gas  pipe  lines,  power/signal cables,  etc.),  infringements,  operation  of  trains  without  hindering  passenger movement,  speed  restrictions  due  to  works  carried  out  in  close  proximity  of tracks and high voltage power lines, etc. and these factors affect the completion time. Therefore, no time frame can be indicated at this stage.

Improvement in passenger amenities at Railway Station is a continuous and ongoing  process  and  works  in  this  regard  are  undertaken  as  per  requirement feasibility, inter-se priority and availability of funds.

## Digital Ticketing:-

Indian Railways has launched RailOne App on 01.07.2025, which combines all the public facing services  of Indian  Railways  eliminating  the  need  of downloading  multiple  apps  of  Indian  Railways  for  different  purposes.  The  app provides  single  sign-on  facility  meaning  that  user  need  not  remember  multiple login credentials for availing different services of Indian Railways. The app has its own e-wallet (R-wallet) which can be used for purchase of reserved, unreserved and platform tickets. Special security measures have been built to safeguard the app against vulnerabilities and potential attacks. RailOne App provides a smooth payment facility at par with the leading travel apps.

## Expansion of Rail Connectivity:-

Railway  projects  are  surveyed/  sanctioned/executed  Zonal  Railway  wise and  not  State-wise/Area  wise/Parliamentary  constituency-wise  as  the  Railway' projects may span across State boundaries. Railway projects are sanctioned on the basis of remunerativeness, traffic projections, last mile connectivity including hilly  and  border  regions,  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.

During  the  last  three  years  i.e.  FY  2022-23,  2023-24,  2024-25  and  the current  FY  2025-26,  284  New  Line  surveys  of  a  total  length  of  27,492  km  have been sanctioned throughout the country including hilly and border regions.

As  on  01.04.2025,  across  Indian  Railways,  431  Railway  infrastructure projects (154 New Line, 33 Gauge Conversion and 244 Doubling) of total length 35,966  Km,  costing approx.  `6.75  lakh  crore  are  sanctioned  including  hilly  and border regions, out of which, 12,769 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of approx. `2.91 lakh crore has been incurred upto March, 2025. The summary is as under:-

| Category   |   No of Projects | Total Length NL/GC/DL (Km)   | Length Commissioned till Mar'25 (Km)   | Total Exp upto Mar'25 (in Crore)   |
|------------|------------------|------------------------------|----------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| New Lines  |              154 | 16,142                       | 3,036                                  | 1,45,318                           |

| Gauge Conversion   |   33 | 4,180   | 2,997   | 22,753   |
|--------------------|------|---------|---------|----------|
| Total              |  431 | 35,966  | 12,769  | 2,90,929 |

Zone-wise/year-wise  details  of  all  Railway  projects  are  made  available  in public domain on Indian Railway's website.

The  details  of  commissioning/laying  of  new  track  across  Indian  Railways are given below:-

| Period   | New track Commissioned   | Average commissioning of new tracks   |
|----------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 7,599 Km                 | 4.2 Km/day                            |
| 2014-25  | 34,428 Km                | 8.57 Km/day ( more than 2 times)      |

In  2024-25,  3248  km  sections  have  been  commissioned  across  Indian Railways and in current FY 2025-26, 895 km sections have been commissioned.

## Madhya Pradesh

Jabalpur-Gondia  Gauge  Conversion  Project  (300  km),  passing  through Balaghat parliamentary constituency has been recently commissioned. To further improve connectivity in Balaghat Lok Sabha constituency, survey for doubling of Jabalpur-Gondia  line  (231  km)  has  been  completed.  Detailed  project  report  has been prepared with the project having an estimated cost of Rs. 4,671 crore.

Budget  allocation  in  the  recent  years  has  increased  significantly.  Budget allocation  for  Infrastructure  projects  and  safety  works,  falling  fully/partly  in  the State of Madhya Pradesh is as under:-

| Period   | Outlay                             |
|----------|------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | ₹632 crore/year                    |
| 2025-26  | ₹14,745 crore (More than 23 times) |

The details of commissioning/laying of new track falling fully/partly in the State of Madhya Pradesh during 2009-14 and 2014-25 is as under:-

| Period   | New Track Commissioned   | Average Commissioning of new tracks   |
|----------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 145 Km                   | 29 Km/year                            |
| 2014-25  | 2651 Km                  | 241 Km/year (More than 8 times)       |

As on 01.04.2025, 24 Railway projects (08 New Lines, 02 Gauge Conversion and  14  Doubling),  of  total  length  of  4,740  Km  costing  ₹89,543  crore  falling fully/partly in the State of Madhya Pradesh, are sanctioned, out of which 2,092 Km length  has  been  commissioned  and  an  expenditure  of  ₹41,401  crore  has  been incurred upto March 2025. The status of work is summarized as under:

| Plan Head               |   No. of projects | Total Length (in Km)   | Length Commissione d (in Km)   | Expenditure upto March 2025 (₹in Cr.)   |
|-------------------------|-------------------|------------------------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| New Lines               |                 8 | 1914                   | 544                            | 15,069                                  |
| Gauge Conversion        |                 2 | 809                    | 430                            | 6,766                                   |
| Doubling/Multitrac king |                14 | 2017                   | 1118                           | 19,566                                  |
| Total                   |                24 | 4,740                  | 2,092                          | 41,401                                  |

Details of some of the recently completed projects falling fully/partly in the State of Madhya Pradesh are as under:-

|   S.No. | Name of Project                                  |   Latest Cost (₹in Crores) |
|---------|--------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
|       1 | Guna- Etawah New Line (348 Km)                   |                        683 |
|       2 | Jabalpur-Gondia Gauge Conversion (300 Km)        |                       2005 |
|       3 | Chhindwara-Nagpur Gauge Conversion (150 Km)      |                       1512 |
|       4 | Chhindwara-Mandla Fort Gauge Conversion (182 Km) |                       1268 |

|   S.No. | Name of Project                                          |   Latest Cost (₹in Crores) |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
|       5 | Ghat Pindari-Balkheda Doubling (6 Km)                    |                         29 |
|       6 | Guna-Ruthiyai Doubling (20 Km)                           |                        175 |
|       7 | Khodri - Anuppur Doubling (62 Km)                        |                        489 |
|       8 | Jukhei Chord line, Bye Passing the Katni Yard (2 Km)     |                         12 |
|       9 | Sontalai-Bagratawa Doubling (7 Km)                       |                        110 |
|      10 | Itarsi-Budhni 3rd line (25 Km)                           |                        286 |
|      11 | Teegaon-Chichonda Ghat Section 3 rd line (17 Km)         |                        176 |
|      12 | Bhopal-Bina 3rd line (145 km)                            |                       1075 |
|      13 | Barkhera-Bhopal 3rd line (41 km)                         |                        473 |
|      14 | Nagda-Ujjain Doubling of Gambhir Bridge (2 Km)           |                         28 |
|      15 | Pendra Road-Anuppur 3rd line (50 Km)                     |                        394 |
|      16 | Bina-Kota Doubling (283 km)                              |                       2477 |
|      17 | Nimach-Chittaurgarh Doubling (56 Km)                     |                        560 |
|      18 | Khodri-Anuppur Doubling with flyover at Bilaspur (72 Km) |                        792 |
|      19 | Budhni-Barkhera 3rd line (27 Km)                         |                       1703 |
|      20 | Indore-Dewas-Ujjain Doubling (79 Km)                     |                        757 |
|      21 | Powerkheda-JujharpurRail flyover (16 Km)                 |                        443 |
|      22 | Anuppur-Katni 3rd line (165 Km)                          |                       2311 |
|      23 | Ramna-Singrauli doubling (160 Km)                        |                       2436 |
|      24 | Karaila Road- Shaktinagar Doubling(32 Km)                |                        763 |
|      25 | Malkhedi-Mahadeokhedi Doubling (12 Km)                   |                         59 |

Some of major projects falling fully/partly in the State of Madhya Pradesh which have been taken up are as under:-

|   S. No | Project                                                               |   Cost (₹in Crores) |
|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
|       1 | Manmad - Indore New Line (360 Km)                                     |               18529 |
|       2 | Ramganjmandi-Bhopal New Line (277 Km)                                 |                5073 |
|       3 | Indore-Budni New Line (198 Km)                                        |                7474 |
|       4 | Lalitpur-Satna, Rewa-Singrauli&Mahoba-Khajuraho New Line (541 Km)     |                8914 |
|       5 | Nimach-Badi Sadri New Line (48 Km)                                    |                 495 |
|       6 | Gwalior-Sheopurkalan Gauge Conversion with extension to Kota (284 Km) |                2913 |
|       7 | Itarsi- Nagpur 3rd line (280 Km)                                      |                2450 |
|       8 | Jhansi-Bina 3rd line (153 Km)                                         |                2002 |
|       9 | Mathura-Gwalior-Jhansi 3rd line (274 Km)                              |                5924 |
|      10 | Katni - Bina 3rd line (260 Km)                                        |                3138 |
|      11 | Katni- Grade separator / Bypass (35 Km)                               |                2300 |
|      12 | Katni- Singrauli Doubling (257 Km)                                    |                4377 |
|      13 | Satna-Rewa Doubling (50 Km)                                           |                 590 |
|      14 | Shahdol-Singhpur4 th Line (6 Km)                                      |                  54 |
|      15 | Bhusawal-Khandwa 3rd & 4th Line (131 Km)                              |                3285 |

In  last  three  years,  2022-23,  2023-24,  2024-25  and  current  financial  year 2025-26, 61 surveys (18 New Line & 43 Doubling) covering a total length of 5,901 Km has been sanctioned falling fully/partly in the State of Madhya Pradesh.

## Maharashtra:-

Budget  allocation  in  the  recent  years  has  increased  significantly.  Budget allocation  for  infrastructure  projects  and  safety  works,  falling  fully/partly  in  the State of Maharashtra is as under:-

| Period   | Outlay                              |
|----------|-------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | ₹ 1,171 crore/year                  |
| 2025-26  | ₹ 23,778 crore (More than 20 times) |

Commissioning  of  sections  (New  Line,  Gauge  Conversion  and  Doubling) falling fully/partly in the State of Maharashtra during 2009-14 and 2014-2025 is as under:-

| Period   | New track Commissioned   | Average commissioning of new tracks   |
|----------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 292 Km                   | 58.4 Km/year                          |
| 2014-25  | 2,292 Km                 | 208.36 Km/year (more than 3 times)    |

As on 01.04.2025, 38 projects (11  New Lines, 02 Gauge Conversion and 25 Doubling), of a total length of 5,098 km, costing ₹ 89,780 crore, falling fully/partly in Maharashtra,  are sanctioned, out of  which  2,360  km  length  has  been commissioned and an expenditure of₹39,407 crore has been incurred upto March' 2025. The summary is as under:-

| Category                 |   No. of sanctioned Projects | Total Length NL/GC/DL (in Km)   | Length Commissioned till Mar'25 (in Km)   | Total Exp upto Mar'25 (₹ in Cr.)   |
|--------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| New Lines                |                           11 | 1,355                           | 234                                       | 10,504                             |
| Gauge Conversion         |                           02 | 609                             | 334                                       | 4,286                              |
| Doubling / Multitracking |                           25 | 3,134                           | 1,792                                     | 24,617                             |
| Total                    |                           38 | 5,098                           | 2,360                                     | 39,407                             |

Details  of  some  of  the  recently  completed  projects  falling  fully/partly  in Maharashtra are as under:-

|   S.No. | Project                                     | Cost (₹ in crore)   |
|---------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------|
|       1 | Jabalpur-Gondia Gauge Conversion (300 Km)   | 2,005               |
|       2 | Chhindwara-Nagpur Gauge Conversion (150 Km) | 1512                |
|       3 | Panvel-Pen Doubling (35 Km)                 | 263                 |
|       4 | Panvel-Roha Doubling (75 Km)                | 31                  |
|       5 | Pen-Roha Doubling (40 Km)                   | 330                 |
|       6 | Udhna-Jalgaon Doubling (307 Km)             | 2,448               |
|       7 | Mudkhed-Parbhani Doubling (81 Km)           | 673                 |
|       8 | Bhusawal - Jalgaon 3 rd Line (24 Km)        | 325                 |
|       9 | Jalgaon-Bhusawal 4th line (24 Km)           | 261                 |
|      10 | Daund-Gulbarga Doubling (225 Km)            | 3,182               |
|      11 | Pune-Miraj-Londa Doubling (466 Km)          | 6,463               |
|      12 | Manmad- Jalgaon 3rd line (160 Km)           | 1,677               |

Some of the main projects falling fully/partly in the Maharashtra which have been taken up are as under:-

|   S.No. | Name of the project                                | Cost (₹ in crore)   |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
|       1 | Ahalyanagar-Beed-Parle Vaijnath New Line (261 Km.) | 4,957               |
|       2 | Baramati-Lonand New Line (64 Km.)                  | 1,844               |
|       3 | Wardha-Nanded New Line (284 Km.)                   | 3,445               |
|       4 | Manmad-Indore New Line (360 Km.)                   | 18,529              |
|       5 | Wadsa-Gadchiroli New Line (52 Km)                  | 1,886               |
|       6 | Jalna -Jalgaon New Line (174 Km.)                  | 5,804               |
|       7 | Daund-Manmad Doubling (236 Km.)                    | 30,376              |
|       8 | Kalyan-Kasara - 3rd line (68 Km.)                  | 1,433               |

|   S.No. | Name of the project                   | Cost (₹ in crore)   |
|---------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|
|       9 | Wardha -Nagpur 3rd line (76 Km.)      | 698                 |
|      10 | Wardha-Ballarshah 3rd line (132 Km.)  | 1,385               |
|      11 | Itarsi- Nagpur 3rd line (280 Km.)     | 2,450               |
|      12 | Rajnandgaon-Nagpur 3rd line (228 Km.) | 3,545               |
|      13 | Wardha-Nagpur 4th line (79 Km.)       | 1,137               |
|      14 | Jalgaon-Manmad 4th Line (160 Km)      | 2,574               |

During  the  last  three  years  i.e.  FY  2022-23,  2023-24,  2024-25  and  the current FY, 98 Surveys (29 New Line , 2 Gauge Conversion and 67 Doubling) of total length 8603 Km falling fully/ partly in the State of Maharashtra, have been sanctioned.

To  improve  the  connectivity  in  Mumbai  suburban  area  and  to  meet  the future demands of passengers, Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-II costing ₹8,087 crore, MUTP-III costing ₹10,947 crore and MUTP-IIIA costing ₹33,690 crore have  been  sanctioned.  These  projects  include  following  works  in  Mumbai Suburban Area:-

|   S. No. | Name of project                                         | Cost (₹ in crore)   |
|----------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
|        1 | 6th Line Mumbai Central-Borivali (30 km)                | 919                 |
|        2 | Extension of Harbour Line Goregaon-Borivali (7 km)      | 826                 |
|        3 | Virar-Dahanu Road 3rd & 4th Line (64 km)                | 3,587               |
|        4 | 5th & 6th Line CSTM-Kurla (17.5 km)                     | 891                 |
|        5 | Panvel-Karjat Suburban Corridor (29.6 km)               | 2,782               |
|        6 | Airoli-Kalwa (elevated) Suburban Corridor link (3.3 km) | 476                 |
|        7 | 5th & 6th line Borivali-Virar (26 km)                   | 2,184               |
|        8 | 4th line between Kalyan-Asangaon (32 km)                | 1,759               |
|        9 | 3rd & 4th line between Kalyan-Badlapur (14.05 km)       | 1,510               |
|       10 | Kalyan Yard-Segregation of Main Line & Suburban         | 866                 |

|   11. | Vasai bye pass line (Double line) between Naigaon and Juchandra (5.73 Km)   |   176 |
|-------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------|
|    12 | Trespass Control Measures such as FOBs etc. (34                             |   551 |

locations)

To enhance sub-urban rail capacity, a total of 238 rakes of 12 car have also been sanctioned under MUTP-III & IIIA at a cost of ₹19,293 crore. The process for procurement of these rakes has been taken up.

## Measures to reduce Freight Delays:-

In order to ensure smoother and quicker transit of freight trains and faster turnaround  times,  Indian  Railways  have  taken  measures  to  increase  network capacity  including  infrastructure  projects  such  as  Eastern  Dedicated  Freight Corridor  (EDFC)  and  Western  Dedicated  Freight  Corridor  (WDFC)  to  create dedicated freight path to give exclusive access to freight trains.

Further,  the  capacity  enhancement  works  and  rolling  stock  programs  are planned and being executed, which upon completion, will reduce transit time of freight trains and lead to better speed. The details are as under:-

- a. Doubling/Multi-Tracking on critical sections and high-density network.
- b. Provision of Rail flyover and Bypass lines at junction stations.
- c. Induction of higher horsepower locomotives.
- d. Induction of higher capacity and high speed wagons.
- e. Improvement to terminals and their connectivity to trunk routes.

## Cost Effective Transport:-

The  following measures  have  been  taken  to  promote  cost  effective transport:-

- I. Joint Parcel Product-Rapid Cargo Service (JPP-RCS) Scheme:- This scheme offer  tailor-made  logistics  to  meet  specific  needs  of  the  customer  and provide door-to-door parcel services. Under the scheme, provision has been made  for  online booking  of parcel space  in these services  through

Aggregators  (in  addition  to  India  Post)  on  'Virtual  Aggregation  Platform (VAP)'.

- II. Short term leasing of leased SLR and lease VPs has been permitted through e-auction.
- III. Utilization of BCN/BCNA stock lying idle as deemed VPU (where parcel vans are not available) for carriage of parcel traffic has been permitted.

Power has been delegated to Zonal Railways to reduce the composition of Parcel Rakes for transportation of mixed perishables goods traffic including fruits and vegetables upto 15 Parcel vans plus 1 SLRs instead of standard composition of 20 Parcel vans plus 1 SLRs. Orange, Mango and Banana traffic when moved in BCN/BCNA/BCX/BCXN Rakes are charged at scale-P minus 50%.

## Electrification and Carbon Footprint Reduction:-

Electrification of railway network on Indian Railways has been taken up in mission  mode.  So  far,  about  99.1%  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 Kilometer   |
|------------------------------|-------------------|
| Before 2014 (about 60 years) | 21,801            |
| 2014-25                      | 46,900            |

In Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, entire existing BG network has been electrified. Further, all new line/multitracking projects are being sanctioned and constructed with electrification.

Indian  Railways  is  committed  to  sustainable  operation  through  near  total Railway  Electrification  combined  with  use  of  renewable  energy  sources,  a combination of solar, wind and other renewable sources based on strategic power procurement planning, thus contributing to carbon footprint reduction.

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