Strengthening Bihar’s Rail Connectivity: Bikramshila-Katareah new line project sanctioned, Kishanganj-Jalalgarh and Kursela-Bihariganj to move forward with fresh funding

• Projects like Supaul-Araria and Araria-Galgalia progressing to improve regional connectivity

To improve regional connectivity, Bikramshila – Katareah New Line project (26.23 Km) costing ₹2549.17 crore with a Bridge over river Ganga has been sanctioned in August, 2024. This project is in vicinity of Tejnarayanpur – Sahibganj (at about 35 Km distance) which could not be taken forward due to low traffic projections. The outlay for the project has been kept as ₹64.05 crore in FY 2025-26. Kishanganj - Jalalgarh (50.87 Km) and Kursela - Bihariganj (58 Km) new line projects were not taken forward earlier. However, based on persistent demand of the public, it has been decided to take these projects forward. An allocation of ₹170.8 crore has been provided in FY 2025-26 for these projects.

Further, survey for construction of new line from Bihariganj to Birpur via Murliganj, Triveniganj, Khurda, Jadia, Bhimnagar (92 Km) has been sanctioned.

Besides, to improve connectivity in Kosi – Seemanchal Region following other projects are completed/ in progress:-

 

●       Completed projects:-

1.      Sakri – Nirmali and Saharsa – Forbesganj Gauge Conversion Project.

2.      Kosi Bridge New Line Project.

3.      Katareah – Kursela Doubling Project.

 

●       On going Projects:-

1.      Supaul – Araria New Line Project.

2.      Araria Galgalia New Line Project.

3.      Jogbani Biratnagar New Line Project.

4.      Katihar-Mukuria and Katihar-Kumedpur Doubling Project.

Railway infrastructure projects falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar are covered under East Central Railway (ECR), Eastern Railway (ER), North Eastern Railway (NER) and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Zones of Indian Railways. Zonal Railway wise details of Railway projects including cost, expenditure and outlay are made available in public domain.

In last 3 years (2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and current Financial Year i.e. 2024-25), 72 No. Surveys (New line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling/Multitracking) of total length 3,889 Km falling fully/partly in the state of Bihar have been sanctioned.

As on 01.04.2024, 55 Railway projects (31 New Lines, 02 Gauge Conversions and 22 Doubling), of total length of 5,064 Km, costing ₹79,356 crore falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar, are at various stages of planning and implementation, out of which, 1,194 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of ₹ 26,983 crore has been incurred upto March, 2024. The summary is as under:- 

Category	No. of projects	Total Length  (in Km)	Length Commissioned  (in Km)	Exp upto March 2024 (₹ in cr.)
New Lines	31	2,712	464	13,629
Gauge Conversion	2	348	288	1,520
Doubling/ Multitracking	22	2,005	442	11,834
Total	55	5,064	1,194	26,983

Since 2014, there has been substantial increase in Budget allocation and commensurate commissioning of projects. Annual Budget allocation for Infrastructure and other works, falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar is as under:-

Period	Outlay
2009-14	₹1,132 crore/year
2025-26	₹10,066 crore (Nearly 9 times)

Commissioning of sections (New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling) falling fully/partly in the State of Bihar during 2009-14 and 2014-2024 is as under:-

 

Period	New track Commissioned	Average commissioning of new tracks
2009-14	318 Km	63.6 Km/year
2014-24	1,669 Km	166.9 Km/year (Nearly 3 times)

 This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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