Jaipur: The 189‑km Ratlam‑Banswara‑Dungarpur new railway line project, sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 2,083 crore, is progressing with 646 hectares of land acquired out of the 1,736 hectares required, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Friday.
The project is being executed on a 50:50 cost‑sharing basis between the Ministry of Railways and the Rajasthan Government, with the state responsible for providing land free of cost. An expenditure of Rs 243 crore had been incurred on the project till March 2026, the Minister said.
To further strengthen rail connectivity in the Banswara region, the Railways has also sanctioned a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed 380‑km Nimach‑Banswara‑Dahod‑Alirajpur‑Nandurbar new railway line. The project will be considered for sanction after completion of the DPR and consultations with stakeholders, including the concerned state governments, NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance.
Vaishnaw said Rajasthan has witnessed a significant increase in railway infrastructure investment in recent years. The state’s railway budget allocation has risen from an average of Rs 682 crore annually during 2009‑14 to Rs 10,228 crore in 2026‑27, nearly 15 times higher. Railway track commissioning has also accelerated, with 3,886 km of new track commissioned between 2014 and 2026, averaging 324 km per year, compared with 798 km at an average of 160 km annually during 2009‑14.
As of April 1, 2026, a total of 32 railway infrastructure projects, including 15 new lines, five gauge conversion projects and 12 doubling projects, covering 3,447 km and involving an investment of Rs 47,498 crore, are under implementation in Rajasthan. Of these, 1,322 km have been commissioned, and Rs 23,245 crore has been spent up to March 2026.
The Minister said several railway projects have recently been completed in Rajasthan, including the Bina‑Kota doubling, Dausa‑Gangapur City doubling, Phulera‑Degana doubling, Alwar‑Bandikui doubling and Jaipur‑Churu gauge conversion.
Major ongoing projects include the Pushkar‑Merta, Taranga Hill‑Abu Road, Ramganjmandi‑Bhopal, Sawai Madhopur‑Jaipur doubling, Luni‑Bhildi doubling and the Nagda‑Mathura third and fourth line projects.
Vaishnaw noted that the timely completion of railway projects depends on factors such as land acquisition, forest and statutory clearances, shifting of utilities, geological conditions, law and order and the working season available at project sites.
The information was provided by Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
(IANS)
