**Summary:**
In response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2880, addressed on August 6, 2025, the Ministry of Railways confirms the sanctioned gauge conversion (GC) of the Khijadiya-Amreli (17 km) railway line at a cost of ₹178 crore in the fiscal year 2023-24. The project is underway and aims to establish broad gauge connectivity from Amreli to Ahmedabad, Surat, and Mumbai via Khijadiya and Botad. The existing metre gauge network between Amreli, Dhari, and Visavadar traverses the ecologically sensitive Gir National Park. Project completion is subject to various factors including land acquisition, forest clearances, utility shifting, statutory approvals, geological conditions, law and order, and available working months.
Key Entities Referenced
SHRI BHARATBHAI MANUBHAI SUTARIYA: Member of Parliament who asked the question in Lok Sabha.
Amreli: A city in Gujarat, India; origin of the railway line conversion project.
Dhari: A town in Gujarat, India; destination of the railway line conversion project from Amreli.
Surat: A city in Gujarat, India; a destination with new railway connectivity.
Ahmedabad: A city in Gujarat, India; a destination with new railway connectivity.
Mumbai: A city in Maharashtra, India; a destination with new railway connectivity.
SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW: Minister of Railways, Information Broadcasting and Electronics Information Technology.
Gir National Park: A protected area in Gujarat, India, through which part of the Metre Gauge network passes, making it ecologically sensitive.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2880
TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025
CONVERSION OF BROAD GAUGE LINE FROM AMRELI TO DHARI
†2880. SHRI BHARATBHAI MANUBHAI SUTARIYA:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government proposes to convert railway line from
Amreli to Dhari into broad gauge which is likely to establish
new railway connectivity from Amreli to Surat-Ahmedabad-
Mumbai; and
(b) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) and (b): Gauge Conversion (GC) of Khijadiya-Amreli (17 km) has
been sanctioned at a cost of ₹178 crore in 2023-24. Work has been
taken up. With this, Amreli will be connected to Ahmedabad-Surat-
Mumbai Broad Gauge railway line via Khijadiya, Botad. Most of Amreli-
Dhari-Visavadar Metre Gauge network passes through Gir National
Park and is ecologically sensitive.
Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors like quick
land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance by officials of
forest department, shifting of infringing utilities, statutory clearances
from various authorities, geological and topographical conditions of
area, law and order situation in the area of project/s site, number of
working months in a year for particular project site etc. All these
factors affect the completion time and cost of the project/s.
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