Delhi: Gujarat is overseeing 42 railway infrastructure projects in various stages of planning, approval, or construction as of April 1, 2024. These include 6 new line (NL) projects and 14 doubling (DL) projects.

The 6 new line projects cover a total length of 537 km and cost ₹7,810 crore. So far, 105 km of new lines have been commissioned, and ₹3,332 crore has been spent up to March 2024.

The 14 doubling projects span 776 km and have an estimated cost of ₹9,260 crore. Until now, 50 km of doubling work has been completed, with ₹1,349 crore spent up to March 2024.

Moreover, the commissioning of gauge conversion, new lines, and doubling sections in Gujarat during 2009-14 and 2014-2024 is detailed below: 

Thus, Gujarat commissioned 660 km of railway sections, averaging 132 km per year during 2009 to 2014. From 2014 to 2024, this increased to 2,244 km, averaging 224 km per year, which is 1.69 times more than the previous period. During the financial year 2023-24, a total of 567 km of railway sections have been commissioned in Gujarat. 

However, completion of railway projects depends on factors such as land acquisition, forest clearances, utility relocations, statutory approvals, and geological conditions. Law and order issues, climatic conditions, and the number of working months also affect project timelines. This information was shared by Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written response to the Rajya Sabha on 26th July. DeshGujarat