Railway Projects Are Planned Zone-Wise, Not State-Wise: Minister

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Feb 5 (KNN) Railway projects in India are planned, sanctioned and executed on a zonal basis rather than state-wise, as several projects span multiple state boundaries, the Lok Sabha was informed.

In a written reply, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the sanctioning of railway projects is based on a range of parameters, including financial viability, traffic projections, last-mile connectivity, elimination of missing links, creation of alternative routes, and capacity augmentation on congested or saturated sections.

"Consideration is also given to demands raised by state governments, central ministries, Members of Parliament and other public representatives, along with the Railways' operational requirements and broader socio-economic factors, including connectivity to aspirational districts and border areas," he said.

The pace of project sanctioning is further linked to the progress of ongoing works and the overall availability of funds, it was noted.

As of April 1, 2025, a total of 431 railway infrastructure projects have been sanctioned across Indian Railways, covering a cumulative length of 35,966 km at an estimated cost of about Rs 6.75 lakh crore.

These include 154 new line projects, 33 gauge conversion projects and 244 doubling or multi-tracking projects. Of the total sanctioned length, 12,769 km has been commissioned, with expenditure of approximately Rs 2.91 lakh crore incurred up to March 2025.

Category-wise, new line projects account for 16,142 km, of which 3,036 km has been commissioned. Gauge conversion projects span 4,180 km, with 2,997 km completed, while doubling and multi-tracking projects cover 15,644 km, of which 6,736 km has been commissioned.

The minister highlighted a significant increase in the pace of track commissioning over the years.

During the 2009–14 period, Indian Railways commissioned 7,599 km of new track, averaging 4.2 km per day. This rose to 34,428 km between 2014 and 2025, translating into an average of 8.57 km per day, more than double the earlier rate.

The completion of railway projects depends on several external factors, including land acquisition by state governments, forest and statutory clearances, shifting of utilities, geological and topographical conditions, law and order situations at project sites, and the number of workable months in a year. These factors have a direct bearing on both project timelines and costs.

(KNN Bureau)

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