Posted On:
18 MAR 2026 3:45PM by PIB Kolkata
Kolkata; March 18, 2026
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology in reply to an unstarred question asked by Shri Jyotirmay Singh Mahato, Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha regarding status of various railway projects in Purulia and Jhargram districts of West Bengal saidthat Purulia and Jhargram are already connected on Railway Network via Gamharia Junctions. To explore additional connectivity, a survey for new Railway Line from Purulia to Jhargram (125 Km) has been sanctioned for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR). The field survey work has been completed.
After preparation of DPR, sanctioning of project requires consultation with various stake-holders including State Governments and necessary approvals viz. appraisal of NITI Aayog, Ministry of Finance etc. As sanctioning of projects is a continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines cannot be fixed.
West Bengal
Railway Budget:
Budget allocation in the recent years has increased significantly. Budget allotment of projects is made commensurate to the progress achieved in any project. Budget allocation for infrastructure projects and safety works, falling fully/partly in the State of West Bengal is as under:-
|
Period
|
Outlay
|
|
2009-14
|
₹ 4,380 Cr./year
|
|
2025-26
|
₹ 13,955 Cr. (More than 3 times)
|
Project Sanctioned:
As on 01.04.2025, 42 projects (12 New Lines, 04 Gauge Conversions and 26 Doubling), of total length of 4,402 Km, costing ₹67,991 crore falling fully/partly in the State of West Bengal are sanctioned, out of which, 1,702 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹23,410 crore has been incurred upto March, 2025. The summary is as under:
|
Category
|
No. of projects
|
Total Length
(in Km)
|
Length Commissioned till March, 2025
(in Km)
|
Total Exp. upto March, 2025
(₹ in Cr.)
|
|
New Lines
|
12
|
1,032
|
337
|
11,368
|
|
Gauge Conversion
|
04
|
1,201
|
854
|
3,673
|
|
Doubling/Multi-tracking
|
26
|
2,169
|
511
|
8,370
|
|
Total
|
42
|
4,402
|
1,702
|
23,410
|
….3/-
-3-
Recently Completed Projects:
Details of some of the recently completed projects falling fully/partly in the State of West Bengal are as under:
|
S. No.
|
Name of Project
|
Cost
(₹ in Cr.)
|
|
1
|
Rampurhat-Mandarhill new line and Rampurhat-Murarai 3rdline (159 Km)
|
1,500
|
|
2
|
Azimganj-Murshidabad new line (7 Km)
|
164
|
|
3
|
Bardhaman-Katwa Gauge Conversion (52 Km)
|
696
|
|
4
|
Ahmedpur-Katwa Gauge Conversion (52 Km)
|
440
|
|
5
|
Panskura Kharagpur Doubling (45 Km)
|
408
|
|
6
|
Lalgola – Jiaganj Doubling (23 Km)
|
124
|
|
7
|
Krishnanagar-Bethuadahari Doubling (28 Km)
|
152
|
|
8
|
Nabadwipdham-Patuli Doubling (22 Km)
|
170
|
|
9
|
Bethuadhahari-Plassey Doubling (23 Km)
|
132
|
|
10
|
Ambikakalna-Nabadwipdham Doubling (23 Km)
|
145
|
|
11
|
Nalhati-Sagardighi Doubling (26 Km)
|
193
|
|
12
|
Tamluk Jn.- Basulya Sutahata Doubling (24 Km)
|
245
|
|
13
|
Plassey- Jiaganj Doubling (54 Km)
|
234
|
|
14
|
Azimganj-Manigram Doubling (21 Km)
|
150
|
|
15
|
New Coochbehar-Gumanihat Doubling (29 Km)
|
330
|
|
16
|
New Coochbehar-Samuktala Road Doubling (29 km)
|
445
|
|
17
|
Sainthia-Tarapith 3rdline (22 Km)
|
186
|
|
18
|
Ambari Falakata-New Maynaguri Doubling (37 Km)
|
843
|
|
19
|
Bandel-Boinchi - 3rdline (31 Km)
|
546
|
|
20
|
Boinchi-Shaktigarh 3rdline (26 Km)
|
424
|
….4/-
-4-
|
S. No.
|
Name of Project
|
Cost
(₹ in Cr.)
|
|
21
|
Bazar Sau-Azimganj Jn. Doubling (42 Km)
|
343
|
|
22
|
Sagardighi- Malda Town Doubling (25 Km)
|
248
|
|
23
|
Kharagpur-Narayangarh 3rdline (24 Km)
|
270
|
|
24
|
Monigram-Nimtita Doubling (24 Km)
|
713
|
|
25
|
Purulia-Kotshila Doubling (36 Km)
|
393
|
Ongoing Projects:
Some of the projects falling fully/partly in the State of West Bengal which have been taken up are as under:
|
S. No.
|
Name of Project
|
Cost
(₹ in Cr.)
|
|
1
|
Chandil-Purulia-Anara-Damodar 3rdLine(121 Km)
|
1,932
|
|
2
|
Tarakeshwar-Bishnupur New Line (83 Km)
|
1,542
|
|
3
|
Sivok-Rangpo New Line (44 Km)
|
11,973
|
|
4
|
Balurghat-Hilli New Line (30 Km)
|
1,209
|
|
5
|
Kaliyaganj-Buniadpur New Line (33 Km)
|
1,147
|
|
6
|
Katihar-Kumedpur and Katihar-Mukuria Doubling (65 Km)
|
943
|
|
7
|
Kharagpur-Adityapur 3rdline (132 Km)
|
3,250
|
|
8
|
Narayangarh-Bhadrak 3rdline (153 Km)
|
2,136
|
|
9
|
Kalipahari-Bakhtarnagar 5thLine (18Km)
|
350
|
|
10
|
Dankuni-Baltikuri 3rd& 4thline (18 Km)
|
429
|
|
11
|
Murarai-Barharwa 3rdLine (49 Km)
|
935
|
|
12
|
Ranaghat-Krishnanagar City 3rdLine (26 Km)
|
446
|
|
13
|
Aluabari Road-New Jalpaiguri 3rd& 4thLine (57 Km)
|
1,630
|
|
14
|
Sainthia – Pakur 4thLine (81 Km)
|
1,569
|
|
15
|
Santragachi – Kharagpur 4thline (111 Km)
|
2,905
|
….5/-
-5-
Land Acquisition:
Execution of important infrastructure projects falling fully/partly in the State of West Bengal are held up due to delay in land acquisition. Status of land acquisition in West Bengal is as under:
|
Total Land required
|
4,662 Ha
|
|
Land Acquired
|
1,273 Ha (27%)
|
|
Balance Land to be acquired
|
3,389 Ha (73%)
|
Details of some major projects which are delayed due to land acquisition are as under:
|
SN
|
Name of the project
|
Total land required
(in Ha)
|
Land acquired
(in Ha)
|
Balance Land to be acquired
(in Ha)
|
|
1.
|
Chandil-Anara-Burnpur 3rdline
|
8
|
0
|
8
|
|
2.
|
Nabadwipghat-Nabadwipdham new line
|
107
|
0
|
107
|
|
3.
|
Byepass at Sainthia
|
22
|
0
|
22
|
|
4.
|
Naihati – Ranaghat 3rdline
|
13
|
0
|
13
|
|
5.
|
Sivok-Rangpo new line
|
135
|
128
|
7
|
|
6.
|
Kaliyaganj-Buniadpur new line
|
168
|
0
|
168
|
|
7.
|
Canning-Bagankhali new line
|
18
|
0
|
18
|
|
8.
|
Adra-Sanka-Rukni doubling
|
5
|
0
|
5
|
|
9.
|
Kalipahari-Bakhtarnagar 5thline
|
15
|
0
|
15
|
|
10.
|
Rail Flyover at Anara from Rukni to Anara station
|
35
|
0
|
35
|
|
11.
|
Rail Flyover at Gourinathdham end to Purulia
|
34
|
0
|
34
|
|
12.
|
Chandanpur Shaktigarh 4thLine
|
5
|
0
|
5
|
….6/-
-6-
Further, Tarakeshwar-Bishnupur (83 Km) New Line Project is held up since 2016 due to non-cooperation by state Govt. of West Bengal. The work was stopped by local villagers in about 900 m length near “Bhabadighi” pond in Hooghly district. Honourable High Court, Kolkata in March, 2025 directed State Govt of WB to provide all necessary support and deploy adequate police force to enable the Railways to commence the work within 3 months.
Deshpran-Nandigram (18.5 Km) Line was sanctioned in 2009-10 at cost of ₹ 121.44 crores. The entire Project length is located in East Midnapore District. The project could not progress due to problems in land acquisition and was kept in abeyance. In April 2023 it was decided to re-start the work. However, Survey for Land Acquisition from Deshpran to 5.0 Km could not be completed due to law and order issues. As Deshpran is the connecting station, acquisition of this land is essential for commissioning of this project.
Several meetings have been held with officials of Government of West Bengal for land acquisition for the above projects.
During last three years i.e. 2022-2023, 2023-24, 2024-25 and current Financial Year i.e. 2025-26, total 106 Nos. of Surveys (15 New Line, 91 Doubling) falling fully/partly in the State of West Bengal having a total length of 5,215 Km have been sanctioned.
Kolkata Metro:
Metro project in Kolkata started in 1972. The details of the Metro commissioned since then are as under:
….7/-
-7-
|
Period
|
Metro Commissioned
|
|
1972 to 2014 (42 years)
|
28 Km
|
|
2014 to 2025 (11 years)
|
45 Km
|
The details of Metro Corridors commissioned are as under:
|
S.No.
|
Metro Corridor
|
Section Commissioned
|
|
1
|
Kavi Subash – Noapara (28 Km)
(Blue Line)
|
This Corridor commissioned before year 2014 (This required about 42 years to complete)
|
|
2
|
Noapara – Dakshineswar (4.14 Km) (Extension of Blue Line)
|
This Corridor commissioned in 2020-21
|
|
3
|
Noapara – Jaihind Airport - Barasat (18 Km) (Yellow Line)
|
Noapara – Jaihind Airport section (6.77 Km) Commissioned in 2025-26
|
|
4
|
Joka – Majerhat - Esplanade (14 Km) (Purple Line)
|
Joka – Majerhat section (7.74 Km) Commissioned in stages from 2022 to 2024
|
|
5
|
New Garia - Belaghata - Dumdum Airport (32 Km)
(Orange Line)
|
New Garia – Belaghata (9.8 Km)
Commissioned in stages between 2023-26
|
|
6
|
Howrah Maidan – Salt Lake Sec. V (16.55 Km) (Green Line)
|
This Corridor commissioned in stages from 2019 to 2025
|
Further, work pertaining to 4 Metro corridors at total length of about 52 Km is under progress, out of which 20 Km of work is held up due to land acquisition and utility shifting issues pertaining to State Government. In the rest of the Metro stretch, though the work is in progress yet facing difficulties due to one or other reasons at the end of State Government. Details are as below:
….8/-
-8-
- Noapara - Jaihind Airport - Barasat (18 Km): Noapara - Jai Hind Airport (6.77 Km) has been commissioned and work from Jai Hind Airport to Michael Nagar is in progress. However, work from New Barrackpore to Barasat (7.5 Km) is held up due to land acquisition and encroachment issues by State authorities.
|
SN
|
Location
|
Issues
|
|
1.
|
New Barrackpore to Barasat
|
-
- Land acquisition (23,000 sq. m) and removal of heavy encroachments (1277 hutments, 764 shops) are involved in this section.
- The matter is not yet resolved by Government of West Bengal (GoWB).
|
- Joka - Majerhat - Esplanade (14 Km):- Joka - Majerhat (7.74 Km) has been commissioned and balance work from Majerhat to Esplanade (6.26 Km) has been taken up. However, progress of the work is affected due to the following issues:
|
SN
|
Location
|
Issues
|
|
1.
|
Khidderpur Metro Station
|
- For utility shifting and road traffic diversion, 837 sqm permanent and 1,702 sqm temporary land of State Government (Kolkata Armed Police) is required. The proposal of this land was sent to State Government on 24.08.2020.
- Several meetings were held with officials of Government of West Bengal (GoWB) for transfer of above land.
- After lot of persuasion, State Government finally accorded approval in July 2025 only after almost 5 years.
|
….9/-
-9-
|
2.
|
Dr. B.C. Roy Market
|
-
- For construction of Esplanade Metro Station, temporary shifting of unauthorised 528 Shops at B.C. Roy Market on Defence land is required.
- The proposal for NOC of temporary/permanent shifting of these shops was submitted to State Government in February 2022. Shops for temporary shifting of these unauthorized shops have also been constructed by Railway.
- The State Government has been requested to facilitate shifting. Regular follow up with State PWD is also being done.
- Issue is pending for more than 3.5 years.
|
- New Garia - Belaghata - Dum Dum Airport (32 Km): New Garia - Belaghata (9.8 Km) has been commissioned and balance work from Belaghata to Dum Dum Airport (22.2 Km) has been taken up. However, progress of the work is affected due to the following issues:
|
SN
|
Location
|
Issues
|
|
1.
|
Chingrighata Crossing (Between Beleghata – Gour Kishore Ghosh stations)
|
-
- Temporary traffic diversion at Chingrighata crossing for launching of viaduct segments is required for 3 nights each on either side of the road (8 hours on every night).
- The proposal was submitted to Government of West Bengal (GoWB) in December 2024.
- The diversion road as desired by Kolkata traffic police has already been constructed in February 2025.
|
MSA
****