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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 358
TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.08.2026
REVIEW OF CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT ON MANGALURU RAIL CORRIDORS
*358. SHRI CAPTAIN BRIJESH CHOWTA:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has reviewed capacity enhancement on
Mangaluru rail corridors and if so, the details thereof including
current projects and operational status thereof, section-wise and
station-wise;
(b) the details of the sanctioned cost, physical/financial progress,
traffic/passenger data and target dates;
(c) the details of the capacity, safety, staffing, land or inter-zonal
bottlenecks and the authority holding each action; and
(d) the details of the approval and completion roadmap of these
projects along with firm milestones?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
*****
§STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF STARRED
QUESTION NO.358 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.08.2026 IN LOK SABHA
(a) to (d): To enhance the capacity and strengthen the railway network in
Mangaluru, following surveys have been sanctioned:
S.N Project Status
1 Mangaluru - Shoranur 3rd Field Location Survey (FLS) has been
Line (307 Km) sanctioned for preparation of Detailed
Project Report (DPR). Field Survey work
has been completed.
2 Mangaluru – Sringeri - FLS has been sanctioned for
Shivamogga New line preparation of DPR.
(332 Km)
3 Mangaluru - Hassan FLS has been sanctioned for
Doubling (247 Km) preparation of DPR.
After firming up of Detailed Project Report (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 depend upon appraisals and approvals by
various stakeholders.
To augment the yard capacity, the following works have been sanctioned in
Mangaluru area:-
SN Name of Works Cost
(₹ in Crores)
1 Provision of additional Coaching stabling line 7.58
with coach watering facility at Bunder near
Mangalore Central.
2 Provision of 02 No. of new full length platform 23.46
lines at Mangalore Central.
3 Yard remodeling work at Mangalore Central with 15.41
provision of 01 No. of new stabling line and
extension of 01 No. of Platform.
Page 1 of 18Karnataka:-
Railway Budget:-
Budget allocation in the recent years has increased significantly. Budget
allocation for infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in
the State of Karnataka is as under:
Period Outlay
2009-14 ₹835 crore/year
2026-27 ₹7,748 crore (more than 9 times)
Track Construction:-
The details of constructing new track falling fully/partly in the State of
Karnataka is as under:
Period New track Average commissioning of new
Commissioned tracks
2009-14 565 Km 113 Km/year
2014-26 1,769 Km 147.4 Km/year
Projects sanctioned:-
As on 01.04.2026, 25 projects (15 new lines and 10 doubling) of 2,935 km
length, costing ₹49,272 crore falling fully/partly in Karnataka are
sanctioned. The summary is as under:-
Category No of Total Length Exp
sanctioned Length Commissioned upto Mar'26
Projects (in Km) upto Mar'26 (₹ in cr.)
(Km)
New Line 15 2,034 445 8,836
Doubling/ 10 901 301 4,562
Multitracking
Total 25 2,935 746 13,398
Page 2 of 18Recently Completed Projects:-
Details of some of the recently completed projects falling fully/partly in
Karnataka are as under:
S. No. Project Cost
(₹ in Crores)
1 Kottur-Harihar new line (65 km) 468
2 Hassan-Bangalore new line (167 km) 1,290
3 Bidar-Gulbarga new line (110 km) 1,543
4 Shivani - Hosadurga Road doubling (10 km) 50
5 Shivani-Birur doubling (29 km) 143
6 Hosadurga-Chikjajur doubling (29 km) 260
7 Ramanagram - Mysore patch doubling (94 km) 998
8 Yelahanka – Chennasadra doubling (13 km) 108
9 Yeshwantpur - Yelahanka doubling (12 km) 95
10 Netrawati - Mangalore Central doubling (2 km) 28
11 Kankanadi - Panambur doubling (19 km) 350
12 Arsikere-Tumkur doubling (96 km) 758
13 Yelahanka - Penukonda doubling (123 km) 1,104
14 Daund-Gulbarga doubling (225 km) 3,182
15 Hubli-Chikjajur doubling (190 km) 1,850
16 Hotgi-Gadag doubling (284 km) 2,459
17 Pune-Miraj-Londa doubling (466 km) 6,464
18 Jokkate-Thokur doubling (2 km) 102
Ongoing Projects:-
Details of some of the projects falling fully/partly in Karnataka which have
been taken up are as under:
Cost
S No. Project
(₹ in Crores)
1. Munirabad-Mahabubnagar new line (247 km) 3,978
2. Kadur - Sakleshpur new line (68 km) 908
3. Rayadurg - Tumkur new line (207 km) 4,565
4. Bagalkot - Kudachi new line (142 km) 1,694
5. Tumkur - Devangere new line (182 km) 2,142
6. Marikuppam - Kuppam new line (24 km) 518
7. Gadag - Wadi new line (257 km) 3,668
8. Shimoga - Ranebennur new line (96 km) 994
9. Hassan - Belur new line (32 km) 749
Page 3 of 1810. Dharwad -Belgaum new line (73 km) 927
Hospet - Hubli - Londa - Tinaighat - Vasco - de - 4,730
11.
Gama doubling (312 km)
12. Baiyyapanahalli - Hosur doubling (48 km) 1,160
13. Yeshwanthpur- Channasandra doubling (22 km) 684
14. Ballari-Chikjajur doubling (185 km) 3,342
15. Secunderabad - Wadi 3rd & 4th line (173 km) 5,012
16. Bellary - Hosapete 3rd & 4th line (65 km) 2,372
17. Guntakal-Wadi 3rd & 4th line (230 km) 4,758
Details of some major projects which are delayed due to land acquisition
are as under:-
Total Land Balance
S Land acquired Land to be
Project
No. required (in ha) acquired
(in ha) (in ha)
1 Shimoga–Rannebennur new line
559 283 276
(96 km)
2 Belgaum–Dharwad new line
581 0 581
(73 km)
3 Shimoga– Harihar new line
488 0 488
(79 km)
4 Whitefield-Kolar new line (53 km) 337 0 337
5 Hassan-Belur new line (32 km) 206 0 206
Summary of the status of land acquisition in Karnataka is as under:-
Total Land required for Projects in Karnataka 10,123 ha
Land Acquired 6,134 ha (61%)
Balance Land to be acquired 3,989 ha (39%)
Government of India is geared up to execute projects, however success
depends upon the support of Government of Karnataka.
Sanction of any railway project depends upon many parameters/factors
which include the following:
Page 4 of 18 Anticipated traffic projections and remunerativeness of the
proposed route
First and last mile connectivity provided by the project
Connection of missing links and providing additional route
Augmentation of congested/saturated lines
Demands raised by State Governments/Central Ministries/Public
representatives
Railway’s own operational requirements
Socio-economic considerations
Overall availability of funds
Railway Infrastructure projects enable socio-economic development of the
region including:
Better integration of the region with other parts of the country
Faster movement of goods and services
Improving logistics efficiency
Enhance line capacity
Increase in direct and indirect employment opportunities for the
people of the region
Reduces operational bottlenecks
Development of tourism industry and increase in industrial activities
in the region.
Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include
the following:
Land acquisition by State Government
Forest clearance
Shifting of infringing utilities
Statutory clearances from various authorities
Geological and topographical conditions of area
Page 5 of 18 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.
Safety:
Safety is accorded the highest priority on Indian Railways. As a
consequence of various safety measures taken over the years, there has
been a steep decline in the number of accidents.
234
165
135
55
16
31
2
2005-06 2009-10 2014-15 2019-20 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27
(upto June
2026)
Number of Consequential Train Accidents has reduced as shown in the
table below:-
Year Consequential Accidents
2014-15 135
2025-26 16 (88% lesser)
2026-27 (Up to June 2026) 2
Another important index showing improvement in safety in train operations
is Consequential Accident Index, the details of which are as under:-
Page 6 of 18
stnediccA
niarT
laitneuqesnoC
fo
.oNConsequential Accident Index:-
Year Accident Index
2014-15 0.11
2025-26 0.01 (91% lesser)
This index measures number of consequential accidents as a ratio of total
running kilometers of all trains.
Accident Index = No. of consequential accidents
No. of trains X million kilometers run
The various safety measures taken to enhance safety in train operations
are as under:-
1. On Indian Railways, the expenditure on Safety related activities has
increased over the years as under:-
Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities
Year
(₹ in Cr.)
2013-14 39,200
2022-23 87,336
2023-24 1,01,662
2024-25 1,14,022
2025-26 1,17,693
2026-27 1,20,389
2. Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralized operation
of points and signals have been provided at 6,671 stations up to
30.06.2026 to reduce accidents due to human failure.
3. Interlocking of Level Crossing (LC) Gates has been provided at 10,395
Level Crossing Gates up to 30.06.2026 for enhancing safety at LC
Gates.
4. Complete Track Circuiting of stations to enhance safety by verification
of track occupancy by electrical means has been provided at 6,671
stations up to 30.06.2026.
Page 7 of 185. Detailed instructions on issues related with safety of Signalling, e.g.
mandatory correspondence check, alteration work protocol,
preparation of completion drawing, etc. have been issued.
6. System of disconnection and reconnection for S&T equipment as per
protocol has been re-emphasized.
7. All locomotives are equipped with Vigilance Control Devices (VCD) to
improve alertness of Loco Pilots.
8. Retro-reflective sigma boards are provided on the mast which is
located two OHE masts prior to the signals in electrified territories to
alert the crew about the signal ahead when visibility is low due to
foggy weather.
9. A GPS based Fog Safety Device (FSD) is provided to loco pilots in fog
affected areas which enables loco pilots to know the distance of the
approaching landmarks like signals, level crossing gates, etc.
10. Modern track structure consisting of 60kg, 90 Ultimate Tensile
Strength (UTS) rails, Prestressed Concrete Sleeper (PSC) Normal/Wide
base sleepers with elastic fastening, fan shaped layout turnout on PSC
sleepers, Steel Channel/H-beam Sleepers on girder bridges is used
while carrying out primary track renewals.
11. Mechanisation of track laying activity through use of track machines
like PQRS, TRT, T-28 etc. to reduce human errors.
12. Maximizing supply of 130m/260m long rail panels for increasing
progress of rail renewal and avoiding welding of joints, thereby
improving safety.
13. Ultrasonic Flaw Detection (USFD) testing of rails to detect flaws and
timely removal of defective rails.
14. Laying of longer rails, minimizing the use of Alumino Thermic Welding
and adoption of better welding technology for rails i.e., Flash Butt
Welding.
Page 8 of 1815. Monitoring of track geometry by OMS (Oscillation Monitoring System)
and TRC (Track Recording Cars).
16. Patrolling of railway tracks to look out for weld/rail fractures.
17. The use of Thick Web Switches and Weldable CMS Crossing in turnout
renewal works.
18. Inspections at regular intervals are carried out to monitor and educate
staff for observance of safe practices.
19. Web based online monitoring system of track assets viz. Track
database and decision support system has been adopted to decide
rationalized maintenance requirement and optimize inputs.
20. Detailed instructions on issues related with safety of Track, e.g.
integrated block, corridor block, worksite safety, monsoon
precautions, etc. have been issued.
21. Preventive maintenance of railway assets (Coaches & Wagons) is
undertaken to ensure safe train operations.
22. Replacement of conventional ICF design coaches with LHB design
coaches is being done.
23. All unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on Broad Gauge (BG) route have
been eliminated by January 2019.
24. Safety of Railway Bridges is ensured through regular inspection of
Bridges. The requirement of repair/rehabilitation of Bridges is taken up
based upon the conditions assessed during these inspections.
25. Indian Railways has displayed Statutory “Fire Notices” for widespread
passenger information in all coaches. Fire posters are provided in
every coach so as to educate and alert passengers regarding various
Do’s and Don’ts to prevent fire. These include messages regarding not
carrying any inflammable material, explosives, prohibition of smoking
inside the coaches, penalties etc.
26. Production Units are providing Fire detection and suppression system
in newly manufactured Power Cars and Pantry Cars, Fire and Smoke
Page 9 of 18detection system in newly manufactured coaches. Progressive fitment
of the same in existing coaches is also underway by Zonal Railways in
a phased manner.
27. Regular counselling and training of staff is undertaken.
28. Concept of Rolling Block introduced in Indian Railways (Open Lines)
General Rules vide Gazette notification dated 30.11.2023, wherein
work of integrated maintenance/ repair/replacement of assets is
planned up to 52 weeks in advance on rolling basis and executed as
per plan.
The details of the Safety related works related to better maintenance
practices, Technological improvements, better infrastructure and
rolling stock etc. undertaken by Railways are tabulated below:-
S. 2004-05 to 2014-15 to 2014-26 Vs.
Item
No. 2013-14 2025-26 2004-14
Technological Improvements
1. Use of high- 57,450 Km 1.63 Lakh Km More than
quality rails(60 2.8 times
Kg) (Km)
2. Longer Rail 9,917 Km 87,219 Km Nearly
Panels 9 times
(260m) (Km)
3. Electronic 837 Stations 3,691 Stations More than
Interlocking 4 times
(Stations)
4. Fog Pass Safety As on As on 31.03.26: 352 times
Devices (Nos.) 31.03.14: 31,693 Nos.
90 Nos.
5. Thick Web Nil 35,971 Nos.
Switches (Nos.)
Better Maintenance Practices
1. Primary Rail 32,260 Km 57,583 Km 1.78 times
Renewal (Track
Km)
2. USFD (Ultra Sonic ₹ 79.43 Lakh ₹ 2.25 Crore More than
Flaw detection) 2.8 times
Testing of Welds
Page 10 of 18(Nos.)
3. Weld failures In 2013-14: In 2025-26: 93 %
(Nos.) 3,699 Nos. 272 Nos. reduction
4. Rail fractures In 2013-14: In 2025-26: 92%
(Nos.) 2,548 Nos. 208 Nos. reduction
Better Infrastructure and Rolling Stock
1. New Track KM 14,985 Km 36,429 Km Almost
added (Track Km) 2.5 times
2. Flyovers 4,148 Nos. 14,362 Nos. More than
(RoBs)/Underpass 3 times
es (RUBs) (Nos.)
3. Unmanned Level As on As on 31.03.26:Nil Removed
crossings 31.03.14: (All eliminated by
(Nos.) on BG 8,948 31.01.19)
4. Manufacture of 2,337 Nos. 49,366 Nos. More than
LHB Coaches 21 times
(Nos.)
Implementation of Kavach:-
1. Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP)
system. Kavach is a highly technology intensive system, which
requires safety certification of highest order (SIL-4).
2. Kavach aids the Loco Pilot in running of trains within specified speed
limits by automatic application of brakes in case Loco Pilot fails to do
so and also helps the trains to run safely during inclement weather.
3. The first field trials on the passenger trains were started in February
2016. Based on the experience gained and Independent Safety
Assessment of the system by Independent Safety Assessor (ISA), three
firms were approved in 2018-19, for supply of Kavach Ver 3.2.
4. Kavach was adopted as National ATP system in July, 2020.
5. Implementation of Kavach System involves following Key Activities:-
a. Installation of Station Kavach at each and every station, block
section.
b. Installation of RFID Tags throughout the track length.
c. Installation of telecom Towers throughout the section.
Page 11 of 18d. Laying of Optical Fibre Cable along the track.
e. Provision of Loco Kavach on each and every Locomotive running
on Indian Railways.
6. Based on deployment of Kavach version 3.2 on 1465 RKm on South
Central Railway and experience gained, further improvements were
made. Finally, Kavach specification version 4.0 was approved by RDSO
on 16.07.2024.
7. Kavach version 4.0 covers all the major features required for the
diverse railway network. This is a significant milestone in safety for
Indian Railways. Within a short period, IR has developed, tested and
started deploying Automatic Train Protection System.
8. Major improvement in Version 4.0 includes increased Location
Accuracy, Improved Information of Signal Aspects in bigger yards,
Station to Station Kavach interface on OFC and Direct Interface to
existing Electronic Interlocking System. With these improvements,
Kavach Ver.4.0. is planned for large scale deployment over Indian
Railways.
9. After extensive and elaborate trials, Kavach Version 4.0 has been
successfully commissioned on 2,633 Route Kilometres as on
31.07.2026, covering the high density Delhi- Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah
routes as below:-
S. No. Section Progress
(Route Km)
(1) Delhi– Mumbai route: 1,423 Rkm
I Tilak Bridge – Junction cabin – Palwal – Mathura – 1,327
Kota – Nagda – Ratlam – Vadodra – Virar Section
ii Vadodara – Ahmedabad Section 96
(2) Delhi – Howrah route: 1,210 Rkm
i. Chipyana – Tundla – Kanpur – Subedarganj Section 563
ii. Kanpur – Lucknow Section 71
iii. Mirzapur – DDU (Excluding) Section 64
Page 12 of 18iv. DDU(FOC) – Bhabua Road Section 50
v. Sasaram – Pheser Section 43
vi. Gaya – Sarmatarn – Nimiaghat Section 159
vii Chota Ambana – Bardhaman – Howrah Section 260
10. In addition, track side Kavach implementation work is being taken up
on 21,794 RKM covering all GQ, GD, HDN and identified sections of
Indian Railways. Also, Kavach work has been sanctioned in the
Shoranpur-Mangaluru Central (308 Rkm) section of Southern Railway.
Further, Kavach has been planned in Mangaluru Central- Mangaluru Jn-
Padil-Thokur and Jokatte-Panambur (28 Rkm) sections of Southern
Railway, passing through Mangaluru area.
11. The total progress of key items of Kavach on Indian Railway sections
are as under:-
S. No. Item Progress
i Laying of Optical Fibre Cable 11,547 Km
ii Installation of Telecom Towers 1,721 Nos.
iii Station Data Centre 1,009 Station
iv Installation of Track side equipment 7,726 RKm
v Provision of Kavach in Loco 6,290 Nos.
12. In addition, work for installation of Kavach in 7,190 Locomotives and
1,200 EMU/MEMU has been taken up.
13. Specialized training programmes on Kavach are being conducted at
centralized training institutes of Indian Railways to impart training to
all concerned officials. By now more than 94,000 technicians,
operators and engineers have been trained on Kavach technology. This
includes about 57,000 Loco Pilots & Assistant Loco Pilots. Courses
have been designed in collaboration with IRISET.
14. The funds utilized on Kavach works so far up to Jun’26 are ₹3,875
Crore. The allocation of funds during the year 2026-27 is ₹2,066 Crore.
Kavach work is going at good pace in the entire country. Requisite
funds are made available as per the progress of works.
Page 13 of 1815. The cost for provision of Track Side including Station equipment of
Kavach is approximately ₹50 Lakhs/Km and cost for provision of
Kavach equipment on locomotives is approximately ₹ 80 Lakh/Loco.
Amrit Bharat Stations:-
Ministry of Railways has launched Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for
redevelopment of stations with a long-term approach.
The scheme involves preparation of master plans and their implementation
in phases to improve the stations of Indian Railways. The master planning,
keeping in view the necessity of each station, includes:
Improvement of access to station and circulating areas
Integration of station with both sides of city
Improvement of station building
Improvement of waiting halls, toilets, sitting arrangement, water
booths
Provision of wider foot over bridge/subway to commensurate with
passenger traffic
Provision of lifts/escalators/ramps
Improvement of platform surface and provision of platform shelter
Provision of kiosks for local products through schemes like ‘One
Station One Product’
Parking development
Amenities for Divyangjans
Better passenger information systems
Provision of air concourse, executive lounges, Multimodal
integration, landscaping, etc.
Page 14 of 18The scheme also envisages sustainable and environment friendly solutions
etc. as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centre at
the station in the long term.
So far, 1,340 stations have been identified for development under this
scheme, out of which, 61 stations including Mangalore Junction and
Mangalore Central stations, are located in Karnataka. The names of
stations identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in
Karnataka are as following:-
State No. of Names of Stations
Stations
Karnataka 61 Almatti, Alnavar, Arsikere Junction, Badami,
Bagalkot, Ballary, Bangalore Cantt., Bangarpet,
Bantawala, Belagavi, Bidar, Chamaraja Nagar,
Channapatna, Channasandra, Chikkamagaluru,
Chikodi Road, Chitradurga, Davangere,
Dharwad, Dodballapur, Gadag, Gangapur Road,
Gangavathi, Ghataprabha, Gokak Road, Gubbi,
Harihar, Hassan, Hosapete, Kalaburagi Jn.,
Kengeri, Koppal, Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna
(Bengaluru), Krishnarajapuram, Malleswaram,
Malur, Mandya, Mangalore Central, Mangalore
Jn, Munirabad, Mysuru Jn (Mysore), Raichur Jn,
Ramanagaram, Ranibennur, Raybag, Sagar
Jambagaru, Sakleshpur, Shahabad, Shivamogga
Town, Shravanabelgola, Shree Siddharoodha
Swamiji Hubballi Jn, Subramanya Road,
Talguppa, Tiptur, Tumakuru, Udupi, Vijayapura,
Wadi, Whitefield, Yadgir, Yesvantpur
Page 15 of 18Completed stations of Karnataka:
Development works at railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme
have been taken up at a good pace. Details of stations completed in
Karnataka are as under:-
State No. of Name of Stations
Stations
Karnataka 12 Alnavar, Badami, Bagalkot, Bantawala,
Dharwad, Gadag, Gokak Road, Hosapete,
Koppal, Munirabad, Ranibennur,
Subramanya Road
The activities for development at other stations have also been taken up at
good pace and progress of some of the stations is as given below:
Stations of Karnataka:
Mangalore Junction station: The works of widening of station
approach road, improvement of circulating area including parking,
improvement of station building including porch, booking office,
platform shelter, new waiting hall with toilet, improvement of platform
surface at platform no. 1, lighting, installation of Coach Indication
Board and parcel office have been completed. The work for 6 m wide
foot over bridge has been taken up.
Mangalore Central is under master planning stage. Master planning is
an iterative process requiring optimization and, the timeframe and
other details for such optimization cannot be indicated at this stage.
Bangalore Cantonment station: The works of new diversion road at
South side, new electrical substation and new 5 m wide foot over
bridge have been completed. The works of new station building at
Page 16 of 18South side, new station building at North side, improvement of
platform surface, air concourse, 12 m wide foot over bridge, new
basement at South side, new overhead tank at North and South side
have been taken up.
Yesvantpur station: The works of new elevated road at East side, new
arrival and departure plaza at East side, new multi level car parking at
East side, new electrical substation, new overhead tank and new
sewage treatment plant at East side have been completed. The works
of new station building at West side, new air concourse, platform
shelter, lift, escalator, new elevated road at West side, new arrival
and departure plaza at West side have been taken up.
Sakleshpur station: The works of extension of station building at main
entry, new entrance porch at main entry, platform shelter, new
waiting hall, new toilet, new booking office, improvement of
circulating area at main entry and parking at main entry have been
completed. The works of improvement of platform surface, signages,
amenities for Divyangjan and lift have been taken up.
Arsikere Junction station: The works of new waiting hall, new parcel
office, improvement of circulating area and parking at main entry have
been completed. The works of new station building at main entry, new
entrance porch at main entry, platform shelter, new booking office, new
dormitory, new retiring room, lift, escalator and 12 m wide foot over
bridge have been taken up.
Further, development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of
stations on Indian Railways is a continuous and ongoing process and works
in this regard are undertaken as per requirement, subject to inter-se
priority and availability of funds. Development / redevelopment /
Page 17 of 18upgradation / modernisation of a station is carried out based on category of
station/condition/traffic handled etc.
Development / upgradation / modernisation of stations including under
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is generally funded under Plan Head-53
‘Customer Amenities’. The details of allocation and expenditure under Plan
Head-53 are maintained Zonal Railway-wise and not station-wise or state-
wise. Karnataka is covered under the jurisdiction of five railway zones,
namely, Central Railway, South Coast Railway Southern Railway, South
Central Railway, and South Western Railway. For these zones, an allocation
of ₹ 3,244 crore has been made for the current financial year, 2026-27, out
of which an expenditure of ₹ 1,588 crore (up to June, 2026) has been
incurred so far.
Development / Upgradation of railway stations is a complex in nature
involving safety of passengers & trains and requires various statutory
clearances such as tree cutting, heritage, fire clearance, airport clearance
etc. These stations are in operation since long, so brownfield work
challenges are being faced, such as shifting of utilities (involving
water/sewage lines, optical fibre cables, gas pipelines, power/signal
cables, etc.), infringements, operation of trains without hindering
passenger movement, speed restrictions due to works carried out in close
proximity of the tracks and near to high voltage power lines, etc. and these
factors affect the progress of work and completion time.
*****
Page 18 of 18