Lok Sabha Question No. 2798 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-16
Subject: Railway Density
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: HARIOM SINGH RATHORE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO. 2798 TO  BE  ANSWERED ON 16.12.2015

## RAILWAY DENSITY

## †2798. SHRI HARIOM SINGH  RATHORE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS  be pleased to state:

- (a) the number and type of railway zones  in  the  country  and the railway  density  in  said   zones, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether the State of Rajasthan is    more backward than other States  from  railway   density point of  view;
- (c) if      so,  the    details      of        the  schemes      proposed    by    the Government  to overcome  said   backwardness    of Rajasthan;
- (d) whether  the    Government is  making  efforts  to  raise railway density of Rajasthan equivalent  to  West Bengal and  Bihar  and if  so, the schemes proposed  in this regard; and
- (e) the    total    railway    lines  in  kilometer    which  is  yet  to  be converted   into  broad  gauge  from  metre  gauge  in      Rajasthan and  the action taken in this regard, particularly in  respect of Nathdwara to Marward line?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2798 BY SHRI HARIOM  SINGH  RATHORE TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA    ON  16.12.2015  REGARDING RAILWAY DENSITY.

- (a): There  are  17  Railway  zones  in  the  country  and  they  have  not been categorised in any type.   Methodologically,  rail network density Zone-wise is not compiled. The details of State/UT-wise rail density in terms of total track km (including double/ multiple lines, yards etc.) as on 31.03.2015 is given below:-
- (b): As on 31.03.2015, the total track kilometre length per one lakh of population in the State of Rajasthan is 12.40 kilometre which is  higher than national average of 9.76 kilometre.  In terms of area,  Rajasthan  has  2.48  kilometres  as  compared  National average of 3.59 kilometres per 100 square kilometres.
- (c) &(d):    Railway      projects    are     not   sanctioned    State-wise. However,    8  new        line,  7    gauge  conversion  (  5  from  metre gauge to broad gauge and 2 from narrow gauge to broad gauge) and  11  doubling  projects  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of Rajasthan have been taken up for expansion of railway network in  the  State.  In  addition,  Western  Dedicated  Freight  Corridor which is passing through the State of Rajasthan has also been taken up.

| Rail Network Density          | Rail Network Density             | Rail Network Density            |
|-------------------------------|----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| Name of State/Union Territory | Total Track Km / 100 Sq. Km area | Total Track Km/ Lakh population |
| Andhra Pradesh                | 4.39                             | 14.24                           |
| Arunachal Pradesh             | 0.03                             | 1.64                            |
| Assam                         | 4.51                             | 11.36                           |
| Bihar                         | 7.15                             | 6.54                            |
| Chattisgarh                   | 1.92                             | 10.36                           |
| Delhi                         | 47.14                            | 4.17                            |
| Goa                           | 2.66                             | 6.74                            |
| Gujarat                       | 3.93                             | 12.75                           |
| Haryana                       | 6.79                             | 11.84                           |
| Himachal Pradesh              | 0.64                             | 5.22                            |
| Jammu & Kashmir               | 0.22                             | 3.87                            |
| Jharkhand                     | 7.30                             | 17.64                           |
| Karnataka                     | 2.62                             | 8.22                            |
| Kerala                        | 5.17                             | 6.02                            |
| Madhya Pradesh                | 2.99                             | 12.68                           |
| Maharashtra                   | 3.57                             | 9.78                            |
| Manipur                       | 0.01                             | 0.10                            |
| Meghalaya                     | 0.06                             | 0.43                            |
| Mizoram                       | 0.02                             | 0.43                            |
| Nagaland                      | 0.14                             | 1.20                            |
| Odisha                        | 3.17                             | 11.78                           |
| Punjab                        | 6.97                             | 12.67                           |
| Rajasthan                     | 2.48                             | 12.40                           |

| Tamil Nadu      | 4.90   | 8.83   |
|-----------------|--------|--------|
| Telangana       | 2.59   | 8.44   |
| Tripura         | 1.84   | 5.26   |
| Uttarakhand     | 0.97   | 5.12   |
| Uttar Pradesh   | 6.24   | 7.53   |
| West Bengal     | 11.79  | 11.46  |
| Union Territory |        |        |
| Chandigarh      | 58.32  | 6.30   |
| Puducherry      | 5.40   | 2.08   |

Note: The remaining States/Union Territories/ have no railway line.

Rajasthan,  Bihar  and  West  Bengal  have  rail  densities    of  12.4 (Rajasthan),  6.54  (Bihar)  and  11.46    (West  Bengal)  total  track kilometre per one lakh of population. However,  Railway projects are sanctioned based  on demand,  traffic survey, strategic, commercial considerations and socio-economic grounds.

- (e):   As on 31.03.2015, Rajasthan has 916 kilometre of meter gauge line.  The  following  gauge  conversion  (from  metre  gauge  to broad gauge) projects falling fully/partly in the State of Rajasthan have been taken up:

|   Sl. No | Name of the line                      |   Length (in kms) | Remarks                                                                                                                                   |
|----------|---------------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Himmatnagar- Udaipur                  |               208 | Earthwork, bridgework and closure of level crossings have been taken up.                                                                  |
|        2 | Mavli-Bari Sadri                      |                83 | Final Location Survey has been completed.                                                                                                 |
|        3 | Jaipur-Sikar- Churu & Sikar- Loharu   |               320 | Sikar-Loharu(122kms) section has been completed and commissioned. Earthwark and ballast supply on the balance section have been taken up. |
|        4 | Ratangarh- Sardarsahar                |                47 | Track linking for 41 kms has been completed.                                                                                              |
|        5 | Suratpura- Hanumangarh- Sriganganagar |               241 | Hanumangarh-Sriganganagar has been completed and commissioned. Engine rolling done on Suratpura- Ellenabad-Hanumangarh.                   |

Survey  work  for  gauge  conversion  of  Marwar-Nathdwara  has been included in Railway Budget 2015-16.

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