237 Projects, 9,700 km Approved Under PM Gati Shakti
VINOD BHAT
NEW DELHI, July 24: The Indian Railways has embarked on a massive infrastructure push under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, with 237 key railway projects spanning 9,703 kilometers sanctioned in just the last three financial years and the current fiscal (FY26), Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
In a written reply, the Minister said these projects include 40 new railway lines, 17 gauge conversion schemes, and 180 track doubling works, with an estimated total investment of Rs 1.90 lakh crore.
Vaishnaw noted that Indian Railways also undertook 892 surveys during this period, covering a vast stretch of 61,462 km for new lines, gauge conversions, and doubling exercises — a move aimed at future expansion and connectivity planning.
He highlighted a sharp acceleration in track commissioning, pointing out that between 2014 and 2025, Indan Railways laid 34,428 km of tracks — averaging 8.57 km per day, compared to 7,599 km (or 4.2 km per day) during the 2009–2014 period.
The significant uptick in infrastructure development, the Minister said, is largely due to enhanced inter-ministerial coordination, faster approvals, and optimized project planning under the PM Gati Shakti framework, which integrates various transport and utility departments on a common digital platform.
In a parallel push to improve passenger experience and modernize facilities, the government has taken up the redevelopment of 1,337 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, while also rolling out a fleet of new-age trains like Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat Express, and Namo Bharat Rapid Rail.
Vaishnaw also emphasized the government’s commitment to railway safety. He said Indian Railways has developed ‘Kavach’, an indigenously designed automatic train protection system now being deployed in mission mode. All unmanned level crossings on broad gauge tracks have been eliminated, while manned crossings are being gradually phased out with the construction of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs).
The Railway Minister’s statement underscores the government’s intent to transform India’s rail network into a faster, safer, and more efficient system that supports economic growth and regional connectivity.
