Title - Rail Projects struggle for funds

The Indian Railways, the third largest rail network in the world, is facing a shortage of funds to implement its ongoing projects across the country.As of April 2012, the Ministry of Railways was executing 347 projects consisting of 132 new line, 42 gauge conversion and 173 doubling projects. An expenditure of 60,791 crore was incurred on these projects up to March 2012 and an outlay of 11,133 crores has been made for the projects for the year 2012-13.

"There is a huge shelf of ongoing projects and limited availability of resources. Funds have to be provided for all the ongoing projects. As on April 1, 2012, there are 347 ongoing new line, gauge conversion and doubling projects requiring about 1.5 trillion for their completion. The projects are progressing as per availability of resources," the Ministry of Railways informed Parliament during its monsoon session this year.

During the last three years i.e. 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12, some 121 new line, gauge conversion and doubling projects were included in successive railway budgets. All these projects are currently in various stages of execution. No project sanctioned during the last three years has been completed, the ministry revealed.

The Ministry of Railways is in the process of expanding and modernising India's vast rail network comprising 63,974 route kilometres 7,083 railway stations, 1,31,205 railway bridges, 9,000 locomotives, 51,030 passenger coaches and 2,19,931 freight cars. The Railways operate 19,000 trains each day consisting of 12,000 passenger trains and 7,000 freight trains. It also transports 2.65 million tonnes of freight traffic and 23 million passengers every day and 7.2 billion passengers per year.

In the ongoing 12th Five-Year Plan (2012 to 2017), the Railways proposes to construct 2,202 km of new line, 3,338 km of Western and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridors, 3,462 km of gauge conversion, 7,635 km of doubling and 6,500 km of electrification.

Moreover, for speedy network expansion, the Railways has also proposed a scheme, Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojana, envisaging the creation of a nonlapsable fund of 5 lakh crore through budgetary support towards investment in the rail sector, mainly for connecting the remote and backward areas over next 10 years.

Some of the measures to provide higher quality passenger services at affordable prices include augmenting the load of the existing services on popular routes by adding coaches; enhancing speed of mail, express and passenger trains; introducing faster moving electrical multiple units and diesel multiple units, introducing modern coaches with better passenger amenities; decongesting passenger terminals by providing extra platforms; developing alternate passenger terminals; and redeveloping stations.

To finance the railway projects under the 12th Plan, the Ministry of Railways has proposed an outlay of 5.48 lakh crore to the Planning Commission. The projects would be funded both through adequate gross budgetary support and successful implementation of PPP in identified areas.

PROJECTS INCLUDED IN RAILWAY BUDGETS FOR 2009-10, 2010-11 & 2011-12 No. Year of Inclusion in Budget Project Length in Km     New Line   1 2011-12 Hansdiha-Godda (30 km) 30.00 2 2011-12 Murkongselek-Pasighat (30.617 km) 30.62 3 2011-12 Qadian-Beas NL 39.68 4 2011-12 Ratlam -Dungarpur via Banswara 176.47 5 2011-12 Gudur-Durgarajapatnam 41.55 6 2011-12 Nadikude-Srikalahasti 309.00 7 2011-12 Wadsa-Gadchiroli (49.5 km) 49.50 8 2011-12 Bhadutola-Jhargram via Lalgarh (54 km) 54.00 9 2011-12 Madurai-Tuticorin via Aruppukkottai 143.50 10 2011-12 Marikuppam-Kuppam NL 23.70 11 2011-12 Shimoga-Harihar (78.66 km) 78.66 12 2011-12 Tumkur-Chitradurg-Davangere 199.70 13 2011-12 Whitefield-Kolar (52.9 km) 52.90 14 2010-11 Hasnabad-Hinalganj (14 km) 14.00 15 2010-11 Tarakeshwar-Magra (51.95 km) and Tarakeshwar-Furfurasharif (21.75 km) 73.70 16 2010-11 Balurghat-Hilli (29 km) 29.00 17 2010-11 Byrnihat-Shillong (108.40 km) 108.40 18 2010-11 Kaliyaganj-Buniadpur (33.13 km) 33.13 19 2010-11 Rishikesh-Karanprayag (125.09 km) 125.09 20 2010-11 Bhadrachalam Road-Sattupalli 56.25 21 2010-11 Bowaichandi-Arambagh (31 km) 31.00 22 2010-11 Digha-Jaleswar (41 km) with new MM for Digha-Egra (31 km) 72.00 23 2010-11

Bagalkot-Kudachi (142 km) 142.00 24 2009-10 Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri (63.1 km) 63.10     Gauge Conversion   1 2011-12 Lucknow-Pilibhit via Sitapur, Lakhimpur (262.76 km) 262.76 2 2011-12 Miyagam-Karjan-Dabhoi-Samalaya GC with electrification 96.46 3 2010-11 Dholpur-Sirmuttra with extension to Gangapur City (144.6 km) 144.60 4 2010-11 Gwalior-Sheopurkalan with extension to Kota (284 km) 284.00 5 2010-11 Chhindwara-Mandla Fort(182.25 km) 182.25     Doubling   1 2011-12 Kirandul-Jadgalpur (150 km) 150.00 2 2010-11 Sambalpur-Talcher (174.11 km) 174.11 3 2011-12 Mudkhed-Parbhani 81.43 4 2011-12 Vijaywada-Gudivada-Bhimavaram-Narsapur, Gudivada- Machlipatnam & Bhimavaram-Nidadavolu DL with Electrification (221 km) 221.00 5 2009-10 Daund-Gulbarga Doubling (224.90 km) and Pune-Guntakal Electrification (641.37 km) 224.90 6 2010-11 Dangoaposi- Rajkharswan 3rd line 65.00 7 2010-11 Hospet-Hubli-Londa-Tinaighat-Vasco-de-Gama (352.28 km) 352.28 8 2011-12 Bina-Kota (282.66 km) 282.66 9 2011-12 Viramgam-Samakhiali 182.23 10 2010-11 Viramgam- Surendranagar 65.26 Source: Ministry of Railways