**Executive Summary:**
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 516 regarding the expansion of the railway network, specifically in Jabalpur, answered on July 23, 2025. It details the criteria for sanctioning railway projects, the progress of railway infrastructure projects across India, and specific projects sanctioned in Madhya Pradesh, including Jabalpur, between FY 2022-23 and the current FY. The information is provided by the Minister of Railways, Information Broadcasting and Electronics Information Technology.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Railway Project Sanctioning:**
* Projects are surveyed, sanctioned, and executed zone-wise, not state/district-wise.
* Sanctions are based on remunerativeness, traffic projections, connectivity, congestion augmentation, state government demands, operational requirements, socio-economic considerations, and fund availability.
* **National Railway Infrastructure Projects (as of 01.04.2025):**
* 431 projects sanctioned (154 New Line, 33 Gauge Conversion, 244 Doubling) with a total length of 35,966 km and costing approximately 6.75 lakh crore.
* 12,769 km commissioned with an expenditure of approximately 2.91 lakh crore incurred up to March 2025.
* **New Track Commissioning:**
* Average commissioning of new tracks from 2014-25 was 8.57 Km/day, more than double the 4.2 Km/day from 2009-14.
* **Conversion to Multitrack Sections:**
* Average commissioning of doubling from 2014-25 was 1687 Km/year, nearly 5 times the 375 Km/year from 2009-14.
* **Budget Allocation for Multitracking Projects:**
* Average annual budget allocation from 2014-25 was 20,882 crore, more than 8 times the 2,461 crore/year from 2009-14.
* **Madhya Pradesh Railway Projects:**
* Railway infrastructure projects in Madhya Pradesh are covered by multiple railway zones.
* 59 surveys (17 New Line and 42 Doubling) of total length 5,523 Km have been sanctioned fully/partly in the state of Madhya Pradesh including Jabalpur between FY 2022-23 and the current FY.
* Specific projects include the doubling of the Gondia-Jabalpur line (231 km) and a 3rd line between Manikpur-Jabalpur-Itarsi (519 km).
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments:**
* *Impact:* Demands raised by State Governments are considered when projects are sanctioned.
* *Action Required:* Consultation with State Governments is required for sanctioning projects after firming up the Detailed Project Report.
**Central Ministries/NITI Aayog/Ministry of Finance:**
* *Impact:* Necessary approvals from these stakeholders are required for sanctioning projects.
* *Action Required:* Consultation is required.
**Members of Parliament and Other Public Representatives:**
* *Impact:* Demands raised by Members of Parliament and other public representatives are considered when projects are sanctioned.
* *Action Required:* No action required.
**Indian Railways:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for surveying, sanctioning, and executing railway projects.
* *Action Required:* Provide zone-wise and year-wise details of railway projects on the Indian Railways website.
Key Entities Referenced
SHRI ASHISH DUBEY: Member of Parliament who raised the question about the expansion of the railway network in Jabalpur.
SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW: Minister of Railways, Information Broadcasting and Electronics Information Technology, who provided the answer to the question.
Indian Railways: The national railway system of India, responsible for the railway network.
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh: A city in Madhya Pradesh, India, which is the focus of the parliamentary question regarding railway network expansion.
NITI Aayog: National Institution for Transforming India, a policy think tank of the Government of India, involved in the appraisal of railway projects.
Ministry of Finance: The ministry responsible for the finances of the Government of India, involved in the approval of railway projects.
Gondia-Jabalpur line: A railway line, the doubling of which is a sanctioned project in Madhya Pradesh.
Manikpur-Jabalpur-Itarsi: A railway line, the addition of a 3rd line is a sanctioned project in Madhya Pradesh.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 516
TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025
EXPANSION OF RAILWAY NETWORK IN JABALPUR
†516. SHRI ASHISH DUBEY:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the railway network is continuously expanding in the
country;
(b) if so, the details of the total number of single lines converted
into double lines in the country during the last ten years, State-
wise;
(c) whether the railway network services have also been expanded
from Jabalpur; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (d): Railway projects are surveyed/ sanctioned/executed Zonal
Railway wise and not State-wise/District wise as the Railway’
projects may span across State boundaries. Railway projects are
sanctioned on the basis of remunerativeness, traffic projections,
last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes,
..P/2-:2:-
augmentation of congested/saturated lines, demands raised by
State Governments, Central Ministries, Members of Parliament,
other public representatives, Railway’s own operational
requirement, socio-economic considerations etc. depending upon
throwforward of ongoing projects and overall availability of funds.
As on 01.04.2025, across Indian Railways, 431 Railway
infrastructure projects (154 New Line, 33 Gauge Conversion and 244
Doubling) of total length 35,966 Km, costing approx. 6.75 lakh crore
are sanctioned, out of which, 12,769 Km length has been
commissioned and an expenditure of approx. 2.91 lakh crore has
been incurred upto March, 2025. The summary is as under:-
Total Length
Total Exp
No of Length Commissione
Category upto Mar'25
Projects NL/GC/DL d till Mar'25
( in Cr)
(km) (Km)
New Lines 154 16,142 3,036 1,45,318
Gauge
33 4,180 2,997 22,753
Conversion
Doubling /
Multitracki 244 15,644 6,736 1,22,858
ng
Total 431 35,966 12,769 2,90,929
Zone-wise/year-wise details of all Railway projects are made
available in public domain on Indian Railway’s website.
..P/3-:3:-
The details of commissioning / laying of new track across Indian
Railways is given below:-
New track
Period Average commissioning of new tracks
Commissioned
2009-14 7,599 Km 4.2 Km/day
2014-25 34,428 Km 8.57 Km/day ( more than 2 times)
The details of conversion of single line sections to multi-track
sections across Indian Railways is given below:-
Doubling
Period Average commissioning of Doubling
Commissioned
2009-14 1875 Km 375 Km/ year
2014-25 18,558 Km 1687 Km/ year ( Nearly 5 times)
The Average Annual Budget allocation for multi-tracking projects
across Indian Railways is given below:
Period Outlay
2009-14 2,461 crore/year
2014-25 20,882 crore (More than 8 times)
Railway infrastructural Projects in the State of Madhya Pradesh are
covered by South East Central Railway, West Central Railway,
Central Railway, North Western Railway, East Central Railway,
North Central Railway and Western Railway. Zonal Railway wise
details of Railway projects are made available in public domain on
Indian Railway’s website.
..P/4-:4:-
During the last three years i.e. FY 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and the
current FY, 59 surveys (17 New Line and 42 Doubling) of total length
5,523 Km have been sanctioned fully/partly in the state of Madhya
Pradesh including Jabalpur such as:-
(i) Doubling of Gondia-Jabalpur line (231 km). Detailed Project
Report has been prepared with the project having an estimated cost
of 4671 Crore;
(ii) 3rd line between Manikpur-Jabalpur-Itarsi (519 km). Detailed
Project Report has been prepared with the project having an
estimated cost of 9461 Crore.
After firming up of Detailed Project Report, sanctioning of the
project requires consultation with various stake-holders including
State Governments and necessary approvals viz. appraisal of NITI
Aayog, Ministry of Finance etc.
*******