Indian Railways Expands Its Presence in West Bengal

25 Dec 2024 CW Team

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.

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