Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 24: In a significant push towards strengthening India’s railway infrastructure, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that Indian Railways has sanctioned a massive Rs 1.90 lac crore worth of projects in the last four years, covering a total track length of 9,703 km.
Presenting a written reply in Parliament, Minister Vaishnaw stated that from FY 2022-23 to the current fiscal (FY 2025-26), 237 railway projects have been sanctioned across the country. These include 40 new line projects, 17 gauge conversions, and 180 doubling works.
He further revealed that 892 surveys have been approved during this period — comprising 267 new lines, 11 gauge conversions, and 614 doubling surveys — covering an expansive 61,462 km.
Highlighting the progress in the past decade, the minister noted that between 2009 and 2014, only 7,599 km of tracks were commissioned (averaging 4.2 km per day), while from 2014 to 2025, a robust 34,428 km were sanctioned, marking a sharp rise to 8.57 km per day.
Minister Vaishnaw credited this acceleration to the efficient implementation of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which has enabled better coordination among stakeholders and improved project execution. "This institutional mechanism has enhanced the quality of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) and significantly reduced project costs," he said.
In a bid to upgrade passenger amenities, Indian Railways has launched the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, under which 1,337 stations across India are being redeveloped to provide world-class facilities and boost operational efficiency.
On the technology front, the railways have introduced modern trains such as Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat Trains, and the Namo Bharat Rapid Rail, which are equipped with state-of-the-art features aimed at enhancing passenger comfort and safety.
In a major safety initiative, Indian Railways is aggressively rolling out Kavach, a domestically developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, across the network in mission mode. The minister also confirmed that all unmanned level crossings on broad gauge lines have been eliminated, with plans underway to replace manned crossings with Road Over Bridges (RoBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) in a phased manner.
The comprehensive modernization of Indian Railways, aligned with PM Modi’s vision of integrated and sustainable infrastructure, continues to gather momentum, promising a safer and more efficient rail journey for millions of Indians.