West Bengal is witnessing a railway revolution as Indian Railways embarks on an ambitious journey to improve connectivity and infrastructure. With 43 ongoing projects, including new lines, gauge conversions and track doubling, the state is at the crossroads of development.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed on Friday (December 20) that on April 1, 2024, a total of 43 projects (comprising 13 new lines, 4 gauge conversions and 26 doubling projects) spanning a total length of 4,479 km and costing Rs 60,168. situated wholly or partly in the state of West Bengal.
Indian Railways spends Rs 20,434 crore till March 2024
These projects include projects in the planning, approval or construction stages. Of the total length, 1,655 km has been commissioned, with an outlay of Rs 20,434 crore till March 2024. The projects span Eastern Railway (ER), South Eastern Railway (SER) and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zones are part of a wider effort to strengthen the railway infrastructure throughout the country.
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Ongoing railway projects in West Bengal
- New lines: 13 projects covering 1,087 km, of which 322 km have been completed.
- Meter conversions: 4 projects spanning 1,201 km, with 854 km in operation.
- Dubbing/Multitracking: 26 projects totaling 2,192 km, 479 km completed.
Despite a three-fold increase in the annual fund allocation – from Rs 4,380 crore (2009-14) to Rs 13,941 crore in 2024-25 – implementation is still hampered by delays in land acquisition. Of the 3,040 hectares required for these projects, only 21% has been acquired, leaving a daunting gap of 79%.
Key projects that are stuck
- Nabadwipghat-Nabadwipdham New Line (10 km): Only 0.17 hectares of the required 106.86 hectares acquired.
- Chandaneshwar-Jaleswar New Line (41 km): No progress on the 158 hectares needed.
- Naihati-Ranaghat Third Line (36 km): Just 0.09 hectares out of 87.83 hectares secured.
- Balurghat-Hilli New Line (30 km): 67.38 hectares acquired, with 88 hectares pending.
- Bypasses at Sainthia (5 km) and Sitarampur (7 km): Only 2.22 hectares out of 22.28 hectares acquired.
In addition, the Ministry of Railways has introduced several measures to speed up the implementation of these projects. Key initiatives include the establishment of Gati Shakti units to streamline project implementation, prioritization of high-impact projects and delegation of decision-making authority to field officers. The ministry also ensures close monitoring of project progress and maintains regular coordination with state governments to address land acquisition challenges and expedite statutory approvals.
