68 railway projects costing Rs 92,001 cr underway in UP: Vaishnaw

New Delhi, July 25 (PTI) A total of 68 railway infrastructure projects in Uttar Pradesh are at various stages of planning, approval, and construction as of April 1, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

These projects include 16 new lines, three gauge conversions, and 49 doublings, covering a total length of 5,874 km and costing Rs 92,001 crore. So far,1,313 km has been commissioned, with an expenditure of Rs 28,366 crore incurred up to March 2024, Vaishnaw said while responding to the questions raised by BJP MP Arun Kumar Sagar.

Sagar had wanted to know whether the Union government has taken or is likely to take any steps to construct a new railway line covering Farrukhabad - Allaganj - Jalalabad - Shahjahanpur - Powayan - Khutar - Mailani - Pilibhit to connect the remote rural areas of Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad, Lakhimpur Khiri, Badaun, Pilibhit districts of Uttar Pradesh with the railway network.

"As on 01.04.2024, total 68 railway infrastructure Projects (16 New Lines, 3 Gauge Conversion and 49 Doubling), of total length of 5,874 km costing ₹92,001 crore falling fully or partly in Uttar Pradesh are in planning, approval or construction stages, out of which 1,313 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹28,366 crore has been incurred up to March, 2024,” the railway minister's response read. "Survey for construction of new line Farrukhabad-Mailani via Allahaganj, Jalalabad, Shahjahanpur, Pawayan, Khutar (158 km) was completed in 2018-19 with estimated project cost of ₹4168 crore. However, at that time, the project could not be taken forward due to low traffic projections," Vaishnaw said.

Sharing details of the 68 railway infrastructure projects, the minister said 16 new line projects covering 1,740 km and costing Rs 29,156 crore are ongoing, of which 297 km has been commissioned at an expenditure of Rs 8,672 crore incurred till March.

He added that three gauge conversion projects of total length of 261 km costing Rs 2,453 crore are ongoing, of which an expenditure of Rs 26 crore has been incurred up to March.

Similarly, according to the railway minister, work for 49 doubling projects covering 3,873 km costing Rs 60,392 crore is underway, out of which 1,016 km has been commissioned and expenses of Rs 19,668 crore have been incurred until March.

"The railway projects are surveyed, sanctioned, or executed Zonal Railway-wise and not state-wise, region-wise, or district-wise as the Railways' projects may span across state or district boundaries. Sanctioning of Railway projects is a continuous and dynamic process of Indian Railway,” Vaishnaw said.

"Railway Infrastructure Projects are taken up on the basis of remunerativeness, last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes, augmentation of congested or saturated lines, socio-economic considerations etc. depending upon liabilities of ongoing projects, overall availability of funds and competing demands," he added. PTI JP RPA