Indian Railways Expands Its Presence in West Bengal
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

Indian Railways Expands Its Presence in West Bengal

West Bengal is experiencing a railway revolution as Indian Railways embarks on an ambitious effort to enhance connectivity and infrastructure across the state. With 43 ongoing projects, including new lines, gauge conversions, and track doubling, the state is poised for significant development.

On December 20, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that as of April 1, 2024, 43 projects—comprising 13 new lines, 4 gauge conversions, and 26 track doubling projects—spanning 4,479 km and costing Rs 60,168 crore, will be located fully or partially within West Bengal.

Indian Railways has allocated Rs 204 billion these projects, which include those in the planning, approval, or construction stages. As of now, 1,655 km of track has been commissioned, with an expenditure of Rs 20,434 crore by March 2024. The projects are being carried out across the Eastern Railway (ER), South Eastern Railway (SER), and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zones.

Despite a threefold increase in annual fund allocation—from Rs 4,380 crore (2009-14) to Rs 13,941 crore in 2024-25—delays in land acquisition have hindered progress. Of the 3,040 hectares required, only 21% has been acquired, leaving 79% still to be acquired.

Several projects are particularly delayed:

Nabadwipghat-Nabadwipdham New Line (10 km): 0.17 hectares of 106.86 hectares acquired. Chandaneshwar-Jaleswar New Line (41 km): No progress on the 158 hectares needed. Naihati-Ranaghat Third Line (36 km): 0.09 hectares out of 87.83 hectares secured. Balurghat-Hilli New Line (30 km): 67.38 hectares acquired, 88 hectares pending. Bypasses at Sainthia (5 km) and Sitarampur (7 km): 2.22 hectares of 22.28 hectares acquired. The Ministry of Railways has introduced measures to speed up execution, including the formation of Gati Shakti units to streamline project implementation, prioritising high-impact projects, and giving field officers more decision-making powers. Close monitoring and coordination with state governments will address land acquisition challenges and accelerate approvals.

West Bengal is experiencing a railway revolution as Indian Railways embarks on an ambitious effort to enhance connectivity and infrastructure across the state. With 43 ongoing projects, including new lines, gauge conversions, and track doubling, the state is poised for significant development. On December 20, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that as of April 1, 2024, 43 projects—comprising 13 new lines, 4 gauge conversions, and 26 track doubling projects—spanning 4,479 km and costing Rs 60,168 crore, will be located fully or partially within West Bengal. Indian Railways has allocated Rs 204 billion these projects, which include those in the planning, approval, or construction stages. As of now, 1,655 km of track has been commissioned, with an expenditure of Rs 20,434 crore by March 2024. The projects are being carried out across the Eastern Railway (ER), South Eastern Railway (SER), and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zones. Despite a threefold increase in annual fund allocation—from Rs 4,380 crore (2009-14) to Rs 13,941 crore in 2024-25—delays in land acquisition have hindered progress. Of the 3,040 hectares required, only 21% has been acquired, leaving 79% still to be acquired. Several projects are particularly delayed: Nabadwipghat-Nabadwipdham New Line (10 km): 0.17 hectares of 106.86 hectares acquired. Chandaneshwar-Jaleswar New Line (41 km): No progress on the 158 hectares needed. Naihati-Ranaghat Third Line (36 km): 0.09 hectares out of 87.83 hectares secured. Balurghat-Hilli New Line (30 km): 67.38 hectares acquired, 88 hectares pending. Bypasses at Sainthia (5 km) and Sitarampur (7 km): 2.22 hectares of 22.28 hectares acquired. The Ministry of Railways has introduced measures to speed up execution, including the formation of Gati Shakti units to streamline project implementation, prioritising high-impact projects, and giving field officers more decision-making powers. Close monitoring and coordination with state governments will address land acquisition challenges and accelerate approvals.

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

DCPC Prepares for Special Campaign 5.0 with Focus on E-Waste

The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, is gearing up for Special Campaign 5.0, to be held from 2nd to 31st October 2025. The initiative will focus on e-waste disposal as per MoEFCC’s E-Waste Management Rules 2022, space optimisation, and enhancing workplace efficiency across field offices.Special Campaign 4.0, conducted between October 2023 and October 2024, delivered notable results in record management, grievance redressal, scrap disposal, and cleanliness drives.Key outcomes of Special Campaign 4.0Records management: 2,443 physical fil..

Next Story
Real Estate

BlackRock India Leases 1.4 Lakh Sq Ft in Bengaluru

BlackRock Services India, the domestic arm of global asset manager BlackRock, has leased 1.4 lakh sq ft of office space at IndiQube Symphony in Bengaluru, according to Propstack data. The 10-year deal is valued at around Rs 4.10 billion.The lease, among the largest transactions in India’s co-working sector, highlights the growing preference of global institutions for flexible office providers. The agreement, commencing October 1, 2025, covers ground plus five floors in KNG Tower 1 at Ashoknagar, MG Road — one of Bengaluru’s prime commercial hubs.As per the lease document, BlackRock will ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

L&T Bags Rs 25–50 Bn Order for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Track Works

Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Transportation Infrastructure business has secured an order valued between Rs 25 crore and Rs 50 billion from the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.The contract, Package T1, involves the design, supply, construction, testing, and commissioning of 156 route km of high-speed ballastless track on a Design-Build Lump Sum Price basis. The stretch runs from Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex to Zaroli village in Gujarat and includes 21 km of underground track and 135 km of elevated viaduct.Se..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?