Rs 200bn rail projects languishing

About 80 railway projects worth over Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) have been lying derailed for years due to the lack of funds and non-availability of land. The projects were mentioned as ongoing projects for new lines and gauge conversion in successive budgets for many years and are mostly in remote and backward areas.

Admitting that there are many projects lying grounded for years, Railway Board chairman J P Batra said there is a requirement of more than Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) to complete these projects.

"Since most of these are not commercially viable, it is not in priority. Currently we are concentrating on commercially viable projects, which are important on traffic carrying aspect. Our surplus revenue is invested in projects which can give adequate return," he said.

The derailed projects have been clubbed together under the Remote Area Rail Sampark Yojna and aim to lay about 12,000 km-long new lines and gauge conversions in remote and hilly areas of states like West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

Among others, the 250 km Ahmedabad-Beed Parli line, 289 km Khurda Road-Bolangir line, 177 km Pedapally-Nizamuddin line, 235 km Dallirajahara-Jagadlpur line, 93 km Dausa-Gangapur line are some of the projects lying in the doldrums for more than two decades.