Vinod Bhat
New Delhi: The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) was launched in October, 2021 to bring a transformative change in the approach towards planning and execution of infrastructural projects pertaining to the transportation sector. The NMP, spanning across the entire country has brought in synergy between the infrastructural sectors such as railways, shipping, roadways, telecommunications, pipelines, etc. through collaboration amongst concerned Ministries/State Governments/Departments, speeding up the clearances needed for the project completion as well as planning at a faster pace.
Indian Railways has immediately imbibed the principles of Gati Shakti in its project planning process, expediting appraisal, sanction and execution of projects. On ground survey, route alignment, deciding alternative route to avoid passing through forest and wildlife areas, connectivity to ports, mines, collieries is done through PM Gati Shakti Institutional mechanism developed by BISAG-N. This has led to enhancement in the quality of preparation of Detailed Project Report and reduction in project cost.
Now survey of all New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling projects are taken up under PM Gati Shakti Institutional mechanism developed by BISAG-N for the development of multimodal connectivity infrastructure to various Economic Zones with an objective to have integrated planning, enhanced logistics efficiency, first and last mile connectivity, throughput enhancement and remove gaps for seamless movement of people, goods/ commodities i.e. agricultural products, fertilizers, coal, iron ore, steel, cement, limestone etc.
During last three years i.e. FY 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and the current FY 2025-26, 300 projects (51 New Line, 17 Gauge Conversion and 232 Doubling) of total length 13,808 Km have been sanctioned across Indian Railways under PM Gatishakti National Master Plan.
Some of the major projects sanctioned are as follows:
| SN | Project Name | Cost
(₹ in Crore) |
| 1 | Chopan – Chunar doubling (102 Km) | 1,553 |
| 2 | Guntur – Bibinagar doubling (239 Km) | 3,238 |
| 3 | Mudkhed – Medchal & Mahbubnagar – Dhone doubling (418 Km) | 5,655 |
| 4 | Samakhiali – Gandhidham Quadrupling (53 Km) | 1,571 |
| 5 | Merta City – Ras & Bypass at Merta Road new line (56 Km) | 1,038 |
| 6 | Lumding – Furkating doubling (140 Km) | 2,334 |
| 7 | Ajmer – Chanderiya doubling (178 Km) | 1,813 |
| 8 | Motumari – Vishnupuram with RoR doubling (100 Km) | 1,746 |
| 9 | Bikramshila – Katareah new line with new bridge on river ganga (26 Km) | 2,549 |
| 10 | Gunupur – Therubali new line (74 Km) | 1,326 |
| 11 | Malkangiri – Pandurangapuram new line (174 Km) | 4,109 |
| 12 | Badampahar – Kendujhargarh new line (82 Km) | 2,106 |
| 13 | Junagarh – Nabarangpur new line (116 Km) | 3,274 |
| 14 | Buramara – Chakulia new line (60 Km) | 1,639 |
| 15 | Jalna – Jalgaon new line (174 Km) | 7,105 |
| 16 | Bangriposi – Gorumahisani new line (86 Km) | 2,549 |
| 17 | Chandil – Anara – Damodar 3rd line (121 Km) | 2,170 |
| 18 | Bargarh Road – Nawapara Road new line (138 Km) | 2,926 |
| 19 | Sardega – Bhalumuda new double line (37 Km) | 1,360 |
| 20 | Varanasi – Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Multitracking with rail cum road bridge on
river ganga (15 Km) |
2,642 |
| 21 | Jalgaon – Manmad 4th line (160 Km) | 2,773 |
| 22 | Bhusawal – Khandwa 3rd & 4th line (131 Km) | 3,514 |
| 23 | Sambalpur – Jarapada 3rd & 4th line (127 Km) | 3,916 |
| 24 | Jharsuguda – Sason 3rd & 4th line (35 Km) | 1,181 |
| 25 | Gondia – Ballarshah doubling (240 Km) | 4,819 |
| 26 | Kharsia – Naya Raipur – Parmalkasa 5th & 6th line (278 Km) | 8,741 |
| 27 | Wardha – Balharshah Quadrupling (135 Km) | 2,381 |
| 28 | Ballari – Chikjajur doubling (185 Km) | 3,342 |
| 29 | Koderma – Barkakana doubling (133 Km) | 3,063 |
| 30 | Itarsi – Nagpur 4th line (297 Km) | 5,451 |
| 31 | Dangoaposi – Jaroli 3rd & 4th line (43 Km) | 1,752 |
| 32 | Secunderabad – Wadi 3rd & 4th line (173 Km) | 5,012 |
| 33 | Furkating – New Tinsukia doubling (194 Km) | 3,634 |
| 34 | Bakhtiyarpur – Rajgir – Tilaiya doubling (104 Km) | 2,192 |
| 35 | Gondia – Dongargarh 4th line (84 Km) | 2,223 |
| 36 | Wardha – Bhusawal 3rd & 4th line (314 Km) | 9,197 |
| 37 | Hosapete – Bellary quadrupling (65 Km) | 2,372 |
| 38 | Kasara – Manmad 3rd & 4th line (131 Km) | 10,154 |
| 39 | Punarakh – Kiul 3rd & 4th line (50 Km) | 2,668 |
| 40 | Gamharia – Chandil 3rd & 4th line (55 Km) | 1,168 |
| 41 | Sainthia- Pakhur 4th Line (81 Km) | 1,569 |
| 42 | Santragachi- Kharagpur 4th line (111 Km) | 2,905 |
| 43 | Nergundi – Barang &Khurda Road – Vizianagaram 3rd line (385 Km) | 5,618 |
| 44 | Son Nagar – Andal 3rd and 4th Line (375 Km) | 13,606 |
| 45 | Gorakhpur Cantt – Valmiki Nagar doubling (96 Km) | 1,270 |
| 46 | Jaipur – Sawai Madhopur doubling (131 Km) | 1,269 |
| 47 | Luni – Samdari – Bhildi doubling (272 Km) | 3,531 |
| 48 | Narkatiaganj – Raxaul – Sitamarhi – Darbhanga & Sitamarhi – Muzaffarpur
doubling (256 Km) |
4,553 |
| 49 | Prayagraj (Iradatganj) – Manikpur 3rd line (84 Km) | 1,640 |
| 50 | Tirupati – Pakala – Katpadi doubling (104 Km) | 1,332 |
| 51 | Ratlam – Nagda 3rd and 4th line (41 Km) | 1,018 |
| 52 | Aluabari Road – New Jalpaiguri 3rd & 4th line (57 Km) | 1,786 |
| 53 | Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) – Parbhani (177 Km) | 2,179 |
| 54 | Bhagalpur – Dumka – Rampurhat doubling (177 Km) | 3,169 |
| 55 | Itarsi – Bina 4th line (237 Km) | 4,329 |
| 56 | Vadodara – Ratlam 3rd & 4th line (259 Km) | 8,885 |
| 57 | Devbhumi Dwarka (Okha) – Kanalus doubling (141 Km) | 1,457 |
| 58 | Badlapur – Karjat 3rd and 4th line (32 Km) | 1,324 |
| 59 | Delhi – Ambala Cantt 3rd & 4th line (194 Km) | 5,983 |
| 60 | Gondia – Jabalpur doubling (231 Km) | 5,236 |
| 61 | Manmad – Indore new line (360 Km) | 18,529 |
| 62 | Errupelam – Amaravati – Nambur new line (57 Km) | 2,245 |
| 63 | Vadhavan Port and New Palghar station new double line (22 Km) | 1,507 |
| 64 | Deshalpar – Hajipir – Luna and Vayor – Lakhpat new line (145 Km) | 2,526 |
Some of the Projects recently completed are as follows:
| S.
No. |
Name of project | Length
(in Kms) |
| 1 | Udhampur- Srinagar- Baramulla new line | 272 |
| 2 | Bhairabi – Sairang New Line | 51 |
| 3 | Deoband – Roorkee New Line | 27 |
| 4 | Churu – Ratangarh Doubling | 43 |
| 5 | Tori-Shivpur 3rd Line | 44 |
| 6 | Araria – Galgalia New Line | 110 |
| 7 | Himmatnagar – Khedbrahma Guage Conversion | 55 |
| 8 | Bahraich- Nanpara -Nepalganj Guage Conversion | 56 |
| 9 | Domingarh- Gorakhpur -Kusumi 3rd Line & Gorakhpur -Nakaha Doubling | 21 |
| 10 | Vijapur – Ambaliyasan Guage Conversion | 43 |
| 11 | Pune- Miraj -Londa Doubling | 467 |
| 12 | Manmad – Jalgaon 3rd Line | 160 |
| 13 | Phephna –Indara- Mau -Shahganj Doubling | 150 |
| 14 | Adraj -Moti -Vijapur Guage Conversion | 40 |
| 15 | Katni -Bina 3rd Line | 279 |
| 16 | Gandhidham- Adipur Quadrupling | 21 |
| 17 | Khatuwas – Narnaul Doubling | 24 |
| 18 | Penukonda- Dharmavaram Doubling | 42 |
During last three years i.e. FY 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and the current FY 2025-26, 982 no. Surveys (295 New line, 13 Gauge Conversion and 674 Doubling) of total length 67,010 Km have been sanctioned across Indian Railways under PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
Sanction of any railway project depends upon many parameters/factors which include the following:
- 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 connectivity of the region with other parts of the country
- Faster movement of goods and services
- Improving logistics efficiency and reduction in transportation cost.
- Enhance line capacity
- Increase in direct and indirect employment opportunities for the people of the region
- Reduced 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
- 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.
Various steps taken by the Government for effective and speedy implementation of rail projects include:
- Substantial increase in allocation of funds.
- Delegation of powers at field level.
- Close monitoring of progress of project at various levels.
- Regular follow up with State Governments and concerned authorities for expeditious land acquisition, forestry and Wildlife clearances and for resolving other issues pertaining to projects.
