Commissioning of new rail lines

Commissioning of new rail lines

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
RAJYA SABHA

QUESTION NO 427

ANSWERED ON 20.07.2018

Commissioning of new rail lines

427 Smt. Vijila Sathyananth

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state :-

(a) whether it is a fact that there had been an increase of 59 per cent in the average pace of commissioning of new lines from 4.1 kilometre per day between 2009 and 2014 to 6.53 Kilometre per day during 2014-18;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether it is also a fact that many of the railway line projects are running far behind the schedule, escalating their cost; and

(d) if so, the steps taken by the Railways to expedite execution of such long pending railway line projects?
ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

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

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 427 BY SHRIMATI VIJILA SATHYANANTH ANSWERED IN RAJYA SABHA ON 20.07.2018 REGARDING COMMISSIONING OF NEW RAIL LINES

(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. The average progress of commissioning of New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling during 2009-14 was 4.1 km per day. Further, 9528 km of New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling has been commissioned during 2014-2018 at an average progress rate of 6.53 km per day.

(c): The completion of Railway projects requires clearances from various departments of State Government and Central Ministries like acquisition of land, statutory clearances like forestry and wild life, shifting of utilities etc. leading to delay in completion of projects.

(d): For timely completion of the projects, Railway is holding regular meetings with State Government and concerned Central Government officials on various issues involving alignment, land acquisition, forestry and wild life clearances, law & order problems, shifting of utilities etc.