Siliguri: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has informed that electrification across West Bengal witnessed significant progress with 98.6 per cent of broad gauge railway lines in the state already electrified, a spokesman of the Northeast Frontier Railway said on Friday citing document.
Vaishnaw, while replying to a question in the Lok Sabha recently on the progress of electrification of doubling of railway line in the northern districts of West Bengal, said works in the northern districts – Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar – have been completed except New Cooch Behar – Bamanhat section, which has been taken up and is currently in progress.
He also clarified that the Indian Railways projects are surveyed/sanctioned/executed zonal railway wise and not state-wise/constituency-wise as the railway projects may span across state boundaries.
He, however, has provided a comprehensive update on the progress of railway electrification and doubling projects in North Bengal.
To cater to the increasing passenger and freight traffic, railway line doubling projects have been prioritized.
The New Jalpaiguri to New Cooch Behar railway line via Falakata, which passes through the
districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar has already been converted into a double line, Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha.
In total, 43 railway projects have been undertaken in West Bengal. These include 13 new railway lines, 4 gauge conversions and 26 doubling projects, collectively covering a length of 4,479 Km.
Among these, 1,655 Km have already been commissioned, significantly contributing to the expansion and modernization of the railway network in the state.
As of March 2024, Rs 20,434 crore has already been spent on various projects, demonstrating the government’s commitment to improving railway connectivity. Additionally, the financial outlay for railway infrastructure projects in West Bengal has seen a significant boost in recent years.
The annual budget allocation has increased from average per year Rs 4,380 crore during 2009-14 to Rs 13,941 crore in 2024-25.
This threefold increase underscores the government’s focus on expediting project execution and ensuring timely completion, he added.
” The Ministry of Railways has emphasized the urgent need for stronger cooperation from the Government of West Bengal to facilitate faster land acquisition,” he said.
Expediting land acquisition processes will allow railway infrastructure development to progress without unnecessary delays, he also stressed.
The completion of these projects will greatly enhance railway operations, improve connectivity, and provide a major boost to economic activities in the region, the Railways minister said.
