Lok Sabha Question No. 277 (STARRED), answered on 2026-03-11
Subject: Infrastructure Development in Katihar Railway Division
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Tariq Anwar

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 277 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026

## INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN KATIHAR RAILWAY DIVISION

## †*277. SHRI TARIQ ANWAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  Katihar  Division  of  Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) appears to be lagging in infrastructure development and modernisation and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the budget allocated and actual expenditure made by the Government for the said division during the last  five  years  along  with the project completion rate in comparison to the national average;
- (c) whether there is any specific and time-bound plan for the modernisation of old rolling stock, improvement in signalling system and upgradation of stations in the said Division and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  assessed  the  reported  decline  in  rail connectivity and passenger amenities in the said region and if so, the details thereof including the action plan formulated to address the said issue?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

*****

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  STARRED QUESTION NO.277 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026 IN LOK SABHA

(a)  to  (d):  Katihar  Division  of  Northeast  Frontier  Railway  holds  significant strategic  and  operational  importance.  Owing  to  its  location,  the  Katihar Division  handles  substantial  rail  traffic  and  plays  a  key  role  in  ensuring uninterrupted connectivity in the North-Eastern region. Accordingly, several projects have been taken up in Katihar Division for Infrastructure upgradations.

Projects recently commissioned falling fully/partly in Katihar Division are as under:-

|   S.No. | Project                                                                  |   Length (In Km) |
|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|
|       1 | Araria - Galgalia New Line                                               |              111 |
|       2 | Eklakhi - Balurghat New Line                                             |               87 |
|       3 | Katihar - Jogbani - Barsoi - Radhikapur - Teznarayanpur Gauge Conversion |              236 |

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

|   S.No. | Project                       |   Length (In Km) |
|---------|-------------------------------|------------------|
|       1 | Jogbani - Biratnagar New Line |               19 |

Contd….2/-

|   2. | Balurghat - Hilli New Line                                     |   29 |
|------|----------------------------------------------------------------|------|
|    3 | Kaliaganj - Buniadpur New Line                                 |   34 |
|    4 | Jalalgarh - Kishanganj New Line                                |   51 |
|    5 | Raiganj - Itahar, Gazole - Itahar, Itahar - Buniadpur New Line |   76 |
|    6 | Raiganj - Dalkhola New Line                                    |   43 |
|    7 | Katihar - Kumedpur & Katihar - Mukuria Doubling                |   64 |

## The status of some of the survey falling fully/partly in the Katihar Division are as under:-

|   S.No. | Name of the Project (Length)                            | Status                                |
|---------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|       1 | Malda Town - Kumedpur 3 rd & 4 th Line (62 Km)          | DPR has been prepared.                |
|       2 | Kumedpur - Aluabari Road 3 rd & 4 th Line (129 Km)      | DPR has been prepared.                |
|       3 | Aluabari Road - New Jalpaiguri 3 rd & 4 th Line (57 Km) | Project has been sanctioned recently. |
|       4 | Aluabari Road - Thakurganj Doubling (20 Km)             | Project has been sanctioned recently. |
|       5 | Thakurganj - Siliguri Doubling (56 Km)                  | DPR has been prepared.                |
|       6 | Siliguri - New Jalpaiguri Doubling (7 Km)               | DPR has been prepared.                |

Contd….3/-

## North East Region Railway Budget:

Budget  allocation  during  the  last  five  years  has  increased  significantly. Budget  allocation  for  infrastructure  projects  and  safety  works,  falling fully/partly in North Eastern Region (NER) is as under:-

| Period   | Outlay                        |
|----------|-------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | ₹2,122 crore/year             |
| 2025-26  | ₹10,440 crore (about 5 times) |

## Track Construction:

The details of constructing new track falling fully/partly in North Eastern Region (NER) during 2009-14 and 2014-2025 is as under:-

| Period   | New track   | Average commissioning of new     |
|----------|-------------|----------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 333 Km      | 66.6 Km/year                     |
| 2014-25  | 1,840 Km    | 167.27 Km/year (about 2.5 times) |

## Projects sanctioned:

As  on  01.04.2025,  12  Railway  projects  (08  New  Lines,  04  Doubling),  of  a total  length  of  777  Km,  costing  ₹69,342  crore  falling  fully/partly  in  North Eastern Region (NER) have been sanctioned. The summary is as under:-

| Category      | No. of sanctioned projects   | Total Length (in Km)   | Length Commissioned upto Mar'25 (in Km)   | Exp. upto Mar'25 (₹ in Cr.)   |
|---------------|------------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| New Lines     | 08                           | 448                    | 113                                       | 38,078                        |
| Doubling/     |                              |                        |                                           |                               |
| Multitracking | 04                           | 329                    | 165                                       | 3,598                         |
| Total         | 12                           | 777                    | 278                                       | 41,676                        |

Recently completed projects:

Projects  commissioned  falling  fully/partly  in  North  East  Region,  are  as under:

|   S.No. | Project                                                                       | Cost (₹ in crore)   |
|---------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
|       1 | Agartala - Sabroom new line (112 Km)                                          | 3,170               |
|       2 | Agartala - Akhaura new line (5 Km)                                            | 865                 |
|       3 | Rangiya - Murkongselek gauge conversion (510 Km)                              | 3,019               |
|       4 | Kumarghat - Agartala gauge conversion (109 Km)                                | 1,242               |
|       5 | Lumding - Badarpur - Silchar & Badarpur - Kumarghat gauge conversion (412 Km) | 6,500               |
|       6 | Lumding - Hojai doubling (45 Km)                                              | 410                 |
|       7 | Digaru - Hojai doubling (102 Km)                                              | 1,873               |
|       8 | New Bongaigaon - Agthori doubling (143 Km)                                    | 2,048               |
|       9 | Bogibeel Bridge (92 Km)                                                       | 5,820               |

## Ongoing Projects:

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

|   S.No. | Name of the project                                                | Cost (₹ In crore)   |
|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
|       1 | Jiribam - Imphal new line (111 Km)                                 | 21,886              |
|       2 | Dimapur - Kohima new line (82 Km)                                  | 15,230              |
|       3 | Murkongselek - Pasighat new line (27 Km)                           | 1,249               |
|       4 | New Bongaigaon - Goalpara - Guwahati (Kamakhaya) doubling (176 Km) | 4,962               |
|       5 | Saraighat Bridge doubling (7 Km)                                   | 1,474               |
|       6 | Kamkhya Guwahati 3 rd line (6 Km)                                  | 395                 |
|       7 | Lumding - Furkating doubling (140 Km)                              | 2,124               |
|       8 | Furkating - Tinsukia doubling (194 Km)                             | 3,634               |

Further, during  the last three years i.e. 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and the current financial year 2025-26, 45 surveys (24 New Line, and 21 Doubling) of  total  length  3,590  Km  falling  in  Northeast  Frontier  Railway  including Katihar Division have been sanctioned.

Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include the following:

-  Land acquisition by State Government
-  Forest clearance
-  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 etc.

Various steps taken by the Government for effective and speedy implementation of rail projects include:

-  Substantial increase in allocation of funds.
-  Delegation of powers at field level.
-  Close monitoring of progress of project at various levels.
-  Regular  follow  up  with  State  Governments  and  concerned authorities for expeditious land acquisition, forestry and Wildlife clearances and for resolving other issues pertaining to projects.

## Modernization of Rolling stock:

Modernization  and  Improvement/up-gradation  of  Rolling  Stock  to  enhance safety, convenience and comfort of passengers is a continuous and ongoing process on Indian Railways.

The  work  of  replacement  of  earlier  ICF  coaches  with  safer  and  more modern LHB coaches has been taken up in a phased manner. Technologically superior LHB coaches have better riding, improved aesthetics and features like Lightweight design, Anti climbing, Air

suspension (Secondary) with failure indication system, stainless steel shell and disc brake system etc.

## Production of LHB coaches during 2014-25 vis-à-vis 2004-14 is as under:

| Period   | LHB coaches manufactured         |
|----------|----------------------------------|
| 2004-14  | 2,337 nos.                       |
| 2014-25  | 42,677 nos. (more than 18 times) |

With  a  view  to  improve  travel  experience  of  the  passengers,  Indian Railways  has  introduced  indigenously  designed  and  manufactured  Vande Bharat trains with modern coaches, advanced safety features and passenger amenities. Presently, 162 Vande Bharat Chair Car services are in operation on the Indian Railway network.

These new Vande Bharat Chair Car Trains have following features:

- Jerk Free Semi-Permanent couplers.
- Fitted with KAVACH
- Centrally controlled Automatic Plug Doors and Fully Sealed wider gangways.
- Emergency  Alarm  Push  buttons  and  Talk  Back  Units  on all Coaches.
- Improved fire safety - Aerosol based fire detection and suppression system in electrical cabinets and lavatories.
- Higher acceleration with design/operating speed of 180/160 KMPH.

- Driver-Guard communication with voice recording facility & Crash hardened memory.
- Air  conditioning  units  provided  with  indigenously  developed  UV-C lamp  based  disinfection  system  for  deactivating  99%  harmful bacteria  from  conditioned  air  to  improve  the  hygiene  standards inside the passenger area.
- Better Ride Comfort.
- CCTVs in all Coaches.
- For Divyangjan passengers special lavatory in the driving coaches on each end.
- Coach  condition  monitoring  System  (CCMS)  display  with  remote monitoring

Further,  to  cater  to  long  distance  travel,  IR  has  introduced  the  sleeper variant  of  Vande  Bharat  Express.  Presently,  2  Vande  Bharat  Sleeper services are in operation on the Indian Railway network.

Broad Technological advancements and safety features provided in these Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains are as below:

- Jerk-Free Semi permanent couplers and Anti Climbers.
- Fitted with KAVACH.
- Higher acceleration with design/operating speed of 180/160 KMPH.
- Crashworthy Design of Car body complying with EN standards.
- Fire barrier doors at the end of each coach for compliance of Fire Safety standards.

- Aerosol based fire detection and suppression system in electrical cabinets and lavatories.
- Regenerative braking system for energy efficiency.
- Air  conditioning  units  provided  with  indigenously  developed  UV-C lamp  based  disinfection  system  for  deactivating  99%  harmful bacteria  from  conditioned  air  to  improve  the  hygiene  standards inside the passenger area.
- Centrally controlled Automatic Plug Doors and Fully Sealed wider gangways.
- CCTVs in all coaches.
- Emergency  talk-back  unit  for  communication  between  Passenger and Train Manager/Loco Pilot in case of emergency.
- For Divyangjan passengers special lavatory in the driving coaches on each end.
- Centralized Coach Monitoring System for better condition monitoring of passenger amenities such as Air conditioning, Saloon Lighting etc.
- Ergonomically  designed  ladder  for  ease  of  climbing  on  to  upper berths.

Railways have developed fully non-AC modern train named as Amrit Bharat express.  Presently,  54  services  are  in  operation.  These  modern  trains comprise of 11 General Class coaches, 8 Sleeper Class coaches, 01 Pantry car and 02 Luggage cum Divyangjan coaches.

These trains have following enhanced features and amenities:

- Better aesthetics of seat and berths with enhanced look & feel on the lines of Vande Bharat Sleeper.
- Jerk Free Semi-Automatic Couplers.
- Improved Crashworthiness in coaches by provision of crash tube.
- Provision of CCTV system in all coaches.
- Improved designs of toilets.
- Improved design of Ladder for ease of climbing on to the berth.
- Improved LED Light fitting & Charging Sockets.
- Provision of EP assisted braking system.
- Aerosol  based  fire  suppression  system  in  toilets  and  electrical cubicles.
- USB Type-A and Type-C mobile charging sockets.
- Emergency Talk Back system for two-way communication between Passenger and Guard/Train Manager.
- Non-AC pantry with enhanced heating capacity.
- Fully  sealed  gangways  with  quick  release  mechanism  for  easy attachment and detachment.

Namo  Bharat  Rapid  Rail  has  been  introduced  to  enhance  the  travelling experience of  suburban and regional commuters  for  inter-city short distance  movement  by  harnessing  the  features  of  Vande  Bharat  Trains. Presently, 4 Namo Bharat Rapid Rail services are in operation on the Indian Railway network.

The prominent features of Namo Bharat Rapid Rail are as follows:

- Centrally controlled Double Leaf Automatic Sliding Doors.
- CCTVs for safety and passenger surveillance.
- Modular interior with Cushioned Seats and Sealed Flexible Gangway.
- Emergency Talk back System.
- Continuous LED lighting with Energy Efficient Lighting system.
- FRP Modular Toilets with vacuum evacuation.
- Fully Air-Conditioned trains with AC Driver cab

## Improvement of signalling system:

Indian  Railway  is  continuously  modernizing  current  infrastructure  of  its signalling system as under:

1. Electrical/Electronic  Interlocking  Systems  with  centralized  operation points  and  signals  in  place  of  old  mechanical  signalling  have  been provided  at  6665  stations  as  on  28.02.2026,  out  of  which  Electronic Interlocking have been provided at 3870 stations.
2. Interlocking  of  Level  Crossing  Gates  (LC)  has  been  provided  at  10153 Level Crossing Gates upto 28.02.2026 for enhancing safety at LC Gate.
3. Complete Track Circuiting of stations to enhance safety by verification of  track  occupancy  by  electrical  means  has  been  provided  at  6,669 stations up to 28.02.2026.
4. Axle  counters  for  automatic  clearance  of  Block  Section,  BPAC  (Block Proving  Axle  Counter)  are  provided  to  ensure  complete  arrival  of  train without  manual  intervention  before  granting  line  clear  to  receive  next train and to reduce human element. These systems have been provided on 6149 Block Sections up to 28.02.2026.

5. Automatic  Block  Signalling  (ABS)  that  enhances  line  capacity  within existing track infrastructure has been provided at 6897 Route km upto 28.02.2026.
6. Indian Railways has gone for implementation of indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, which required safety certification  of  highest  order  (SIL  4).  Kavach  has  been  adopted  as  a National ATP system in July 2020.

After extensive and elaborate trials,  Kavach  Version 4.0 has been successfully  commissioned  on  1452  Route  Kilometres,  covering  the  high density Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes. On the Delhi-Mumbai route Kavach ver. 4.0 has been commissioned on Junction cabin-Palwal-MathuraNagda  section  (667  Rkm)  &  Vadodara-Virar  section  (336  Rkm),  and Vadodara-Ahmedabad  section  (96  Rkm)  and  on  the  Delhi-Howrah  route Kavach  ver.  4.0  has  been  commissioned  on  Gaya  Sarmatanr  section  (93 Rkm) and Chota Ambana-Bardhaman-Howrah section (260 Rkm).

Further,  track  side  Kavach  implementation  work  has  been  taken  up  on 24,427  RKM  covering  all  GQ,  GD,  HDN  and  identified  sections  of  Indian Railways.

## Amrit Bharat Stations:

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,  1337  stations  have  been  identified  for  development  under  Amrit Bharat  Station  Scheme,  out  of  which  20  stations  (Aluabari  Road,  Arariya Court, Balurghat, Barsoi Jn, Bhaluka Road, Dalkhola, Haldibari, Harishchandrapur, Jalpaiguri, Kaliyaganj, Katihar Jn, Kishanganj, Kumedpur  Jn,  Labha,  Malda  Court,  New  Jalpaiguri  Jn,  Salmari,  Samsi, Siliguri Jn. And Thakurganj) of Katihar division, Northeast Frontier Railway, are located in Bihar and West Bengal.

The  names  of  stations  identified  for  development  under  Amrit  Bharat Station Scheme in Bihar and West Bengal are as following:

| State   |   No. of Stations | Name of Stations                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|---------|-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Bihar   |                98 | Anugraha Narayan Road, Ara, Arariya Court, Bakhtiyarpur, Banka, Banmankhi, BapudhamMotihari, Barahiya, Barauni, Barh, Barsoi Jn, Begusarai, Bettiah, Bhabua Road, Bhagalpur, Bhagwanpur, Bihar Sharif, Bihiya, Bikramganj, Buxar, Chakia, Chausa, Chhapra, Dalsingh Sarai, Darbhanga, Dauram Madhepura, Dehri On Sone, Dholi, Dighwara, Dumraon, Durgauti, Ekma, Fatuha, Gaya, Ghorasahan, Guraru, Hajipur Jn, Jamalpur Jn, Jamui, Janakpur Road, Jaynagar, Jehanabad, Jhanjharpur, Kahalgaon, Karhagola Road, Katihar Jn, Khagaria Jn, Kishanganj, Kudra, Labha, Laheria Sarai, Lakhminia, Luckeesarai Jn, Madhubani, Maheshkhunt, Mairwa, Mansi Jn, Masrakh, Mokama, Motipur, Munger (Monghyr), Muzaffarpur Jn, Nabinagar Road, Narkatiaganj Jn, Naugachia, Nawadah, Paharpur, Patliputra, Patna Jn, Piro, Pirpainti, Rafiganj, Raghunathpur, Rajendra Nagar Terminal (Patna), Rajgir, Ram Dayalu Nagar, Raxaul, Sabaur, Sagauli, Saharsa, Sahibpur Kamal, Sakri, Salauna, Salmari, Samastipur, Sasaram, Shahpur Patoree, Shivanarayanpur, Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Simultala, Sitamarhi, Siwan, Sonpur Jn., Sultanganj, Supaul, Taregna, Thakurganj, Thawe |

| West Bengal   | 101   | Adra, Alipurduar Jn., Aluabari Road, Ambika kalna, Anara, Andal Jn., Andul, Asansol Jn., Azimganj, Bagnan, Bally, Balurghat, Bandel Jn., Bangaon Jn., Bankura, Barabhum, Barasat, Barddhaman, Barrackpore, Belda, Berhampore court, Bethuadahari, Bhaluka Road, Binnaguri, Bishnupur, Bolpur Shantiniketan, Burnpur, Canning, Chandan nagar, Chandpara, Chandrakona Road, Dalgaon, Dalkhola, Dankuni, Dhulian Ganga, Dhupguri, Digha, Dinhata, Dum Dum Jn., Falakata, Garbeta, Gede, Haldia, Haldibari, Harishchandrapur, Hasimara, Hijli, Howrah Jn, Jalpaiguri, Jalpaiguri Road, Jangipur Road, Jhalida, Jhargram, Joychandi Pahar Jn, Kaliyaganj, Kalyani, Kalyani Ghoshpara, Kamakhyaguri, Katwa Jn, Khagraghat Road, Kharagpur Jn, Kolkata, Krishnanagar City Jn, Kumedpur Jn, Madhukunda, Madhyamgram, Malda Court, Malda Town, Mecheda, Medinipur (Midnapore), Nabadwip Dham, Naihati Jn, New Alipurduar, New Cooch Behar, New Farakka Jn, New Jalpaiguri Jn, New Mal Jn, Ondagram, Panagarh, Pandabeswar, Panskura Jn, Purulia Jn, Rampurhat Jn, Ranaghat, Sainthia Jn, Salboni, Samsi, Santragachi, Sealdah, Shalimar, Shantipur, Sheoraphuli Jn., Siliguri Jn., Sitarampur, Siuri, Sonarpur Jn., Suisa, Tamluk, Tarakeswar, Tulin, Uluberia   |
|---------------|-------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Development works at railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Bihar and West Bengal have been taken up at a good pace and the works have  been  completed  at  Anara,  Barabhum,  Haldia,  Joychandi  Pahar  Jn, Kalyani  Ghoshpara,  Kamakhyaguri,  Panagarh,  Pirpainti,Siuri,  Tamluk  and Thawe.

The activities for development at other stations have also been taken up at good pace and progress of some of the stations is as given below:

## Bihar:

-  Arariya  Court  station:  The  structural  work  of  new  station  building, platform  shelter  at  platform  no.  1,  approach  road  and  boundary  wall have been completed. The works of lift, circulating area, 12 m Foot Over Bridge and finishing work of new station building have been taken up.
-  Barsoi Junction station:  The works of dismantling of old quarters and shifting of utilities have been completed. The works of station building, circulating area and 12 m Foot Over Bridge have been taken up.
-  Kishanganj station: The works of platform surfacing at platform no. 1&2, drinking  water  taps  at  platform  no.  1&2,  improvement  of  circulating area,  parking  at  second  entry,  approach  road  and  boundary  wall  have been completed. The works of horticulture and 12 m Foot Over Bridge have been taken up.
-  Salmari station: The works of improvement of station building, extension and raising of platform no. 1 and platform shelter at platform

- no. 1 have been completed. The works of circulating area and 3 m Foot Over Bridge have been taken up.
-  Thakurganj  station:  The  works  of  raising  of  platform  no.  1,  platform surfacing at platform no. 2, platform shelter at platform no. 1 & 2 and 12 m  Foot  Over  Bridge  have  been  completed.  The  works  of  platform surfacing  at  platform  no.  1,  toilet  at  platform  no.  2,  coach  indication board and train indication board have been taken up.

## West Bengal:

-  Balurghat  station: The  works  of  improvement  of  station  building, portico,  extension  of  platform,  waiting  room,  circulating  area  and approach road have been completed. The works of lift and 12 m Foot Over Bridge have been taken up.
-  Haldibari station: The works of extension of platform, platform surfacing  at  platform  no.  1,  platform  shelter,  improvement  of  waiting room,  toilet,  circulating  area,  parking,  boundary  wall  and  12  m  Foot Over  Bridge  have  been  completed.  The  works  of  portico  have  been taken up.
-  Jalpaiguri  station:  The  works  of  extension  and  platform  surfacing  of platform  no.  1,  platform  shelter,  boundary  wall  and  12  m  Foot  Over Bridge  have  been  completed.  The  works  of  circulating  area,  lift  and escalator have been taken up.

-  New  Jalpaiguri  station:  The  works  of  parcel/Rail  Mail  Service  office, structural  work  of  departure  building  up  to  fourth  floor,  arrival-01 building and arrival-02 building, podium parking-01 have been completed. The structural work of departure building of fifth and sixth floor,  elevated  road,  podium  parking-02,  air  concourse  and  finishing work of arrival-01building have been taken up.

Further,  development  /  redevelopment  /  upgradation  /  modernisation  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. Development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of a station is carried out based on category of station/condition/traffic handled etc.

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, airport clearance etc. The progress also gets affected due to brownfield related challenges such  as  shifting  of  utilities  (involving  water/sewage  lines,  optical  fibre 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.

Development  /  Upgradation  /  Modernization  of  stations  including  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.

Bihar  is  covered  under  the  jurisdiction  of  four  railway  zones,  namely, Eastern  Railway,  Northeast  Frontier  Railway,  North  Eastern  Railway  and East Central Railway. These zones have been allocated₹ 6,599 crore under Plan Head-53 for the last four years and the current year. The expenditure incurred  under  Plan  Head-53  by  these  zones  for  the  last  four  years  and current year (up to January, 2026) is ₹6,051 crore.

West Bengal is covered under the jurisdiction of four railway zones, namely, Eastern  Railway,  Northeast  Frontier  Railway,  South  Eastern  Railway  and Metro Railway. These zones have been allocated ₹4,458 crore under Plan Head-53  for  the  last  four  years  and  the  current  year.  The  expenditure incurred  under  Plan  Head-53  by  these  zones  for  the  last  four  years  and current year (up to January, 2026) is ₹4,150 crore.

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