**Executive Summary**
This document is a response by the Minister of Railways to questions raised in the Lok Sabha regarding new railway lines in the Sabarkantha Lok Sabha Constituency of Gujarat. The response details completed projects, ongoing projects, sanctioned surveys, and factors affecting project timelines. The response is scheduled to be answered on December 3, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Completed Projects:**
* The Himmatnagar - Khed Brahma Gauge Conversion project (55 Km) has been completed to improve rail connectivity in the Sabarkantha Constituency.
* **Ongoing Projects:**
* The Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road (116 Km) new line project, which passes through Sabarkantha Constituency, has been sanctioned and work has commenced. An expenditure of ₹980 crore has been incurred up to March 2025, with a further outlay of ₹236 crore for the financial year 2025-26.
* **Sanctioned Surveys:**
* Surveys have been sanctioned to improve connectivity.
* Field survey work has been initiated for preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for:
* Khed Brahma-Ambaji New Line (46 Km)
* Ahmedabad-Himmatnagar Doubling (93 Km)
* **Project Timelines:**
* Exact timelines for project completion cannot be fixed due to the continuous and dynamic sanctioning process, requiring consultation with stakeholders (including State Governments) and approvals (NITI Aayog, Ministry of Finance).
* **Factors Affecting Completion:**
* Project completion depends on various factors, including:
* Land acquisition
* Forest clearance
* Shifting of infringing utilities
* Statutory clearances from various authorities
* Geological and topographical conditions of area
* Law and order situation in the area of project site
* Number of working months in a year for particular project site
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Sabarkantha Constituency Residents**
* **Impact:** Improved rail connectivity and potential socio-economic benefits due to new and upgraded railway lines.
* **Action Required:** No immediate action, but awareness of ongoing and planned railway projects and potential disruptions during construction.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Railways**
* **Impact:** Need to manage and execute the ongoing and planned railway projects, addressing factors affecting completion.
* **Action Required:** Continue project execution, conduct surveys, coordinate with stakeholders for approvals and address factors affecting timelines.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Railways: Primary subject of the document, responsible for answering questions related to new railway lines.
Sabarkantha Lok Sabha Constituency: The geographical area where the construction of new railway lines is being undertaken, the focus of the parliamentary question.
Detailed Project Report (DPR): A key document in the railway project planning and sanctioning process.
Khed Brahma-Ambaji New Line: One of the specific new railway line projects mentioned in the response.
NITI Aayog: An important government body whose appraisal is required for sanctioning railway projects.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 513
TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.12.2025
NEW RAILWAY LINES IN SABARKANTHA
†513. SMT. SHOBHANABEN MAHENDRASINH BARAIYA:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is undertaking construction of a new
railway lines in the Sabarkantha Lok Sabha Constituency of
Gujarat;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government is aware that the construction of
these new railway lines is currently going on at a very slow
pace;
(d) if so, the reasons therefor; and
(e) whether the Government has set any deadline for completion
of these projects and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (e): To improve the rail connectivity of the area situated in
Sabarkantha Constituency, Himmatnagar - Khed Brahma Gauge
Conversion project (55 Km) has been completed recently.
Further, Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road (116 Km) new line project,
which passes through Sabarkantha Constituency has also been
Contd…2-2-
sanctioned and work has been taken up. An expenditure of ₹980 crore
has been incurred on this project upto March 2025 and an outlay of
₹236 crore has been provided for this project for the financial year
2025-26.
To further improve the connectivity in the region, following surveys
have been sanctioned. The field survey work has been taken up for
preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR):
SN Name of Surveys Length (Km)
1 Khed Brahma-Ambaji New Line 46
2 Ahmedabad-Himmatnagar Doubling 93
After preparation of DPR, sanctioning of project requires consultation
with various stake-holders including State Governments and
necessary approvals viz. appraisal of NITI Aayog, Ministry of Finance
etc. As sanctioning of projects is a continuous and dynamic process,
exact timelines cannot be fixed.
Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which
include the following:
• Land acquisition
• Forest clearance
• Shifting of infringing utilities
• Statutory clearances from various authorities
• Geological and topographical conditions of area
• Law and order situation in the area of project 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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