Six key railway projects currently underway in state: Vaishnaw

Guwahati, Apr 3: Stating that the central government is determined to comprehensively develop the transportation network in Assam, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said that at least six crucial railway projects are currently under implementation in the state.

Vaishnaw said in Parliament that the Murkongselek-Pasighat new line (26.15 km), Tetelia-Byrnihat new line (21.50 km), New Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Kamakhya track doubling (176 km), Lumding-Furkating track doubling (140 km), KamaKhya-Guwahati third line (5.44 km), and Agthori-Kamakhya (7.062 km), including a new rail-cum-road bridge at Saraighat, are currently being implemented in Assam.

Vaishnaw further reiterated that the final location survey (FLS) of the Agthori (Guwahati)-Dekargaon (Tezpur) new line project (155 km) and the Tezpur-Silghat new line project (25 km), which pass through Darrang and Sonitpur districts, have been sanctioned, and survey work has been taken up.

Vaishnaw said that in the last four financial years (2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25), 14 surveys (9 new lines and 5 track doubling works) with a total length of 1,869 km falling fully and partly in Assam have been sanctioned.

The minister said that the Railway Ministry has taken up several projects to boost economic development in Assam.

"As of April 1, 2024, 18 railway projects (13 new lines and 5 track doubling works), with a total length of 1,368 km and costing Rs 74,972 crore falling fully and partly in the Northeast region including Assam are at various stages of planning and implementation, out of which 313 km has been commissioned and an expenditure of Rs 40,549 crore has been incurred up to March 2024," said Vaishnaw.

He said that railway projects are surveyed, sanctioned, and executed railway zonal-wise and not state-wise, constituency-wise, or district-wise, as the railway projects may span across state boundaries.

"Railway projects are sanctioned on the basis of remunerativeness, traffic projections, last-mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes, augmentation of congested/saturated lines, demands raised by the state governments, central ministries, MPs, other public representatives, the railway's own operational requirements, socio-economic considerations, etc., depending upon the ongoing projects and overall availability of funds," Vaishnaw said.

By

A Correspondent