Indian Railways Powers Ahead with Infrastructure Upgrades in 2024

In the quest to Vikasit Bharat 2047, Indian Railways continued its transformative journey in the year 2024, paving the way for a new era of modernization and progress. With a strong focus on meeting world class travel experience, boosting freight efficiency, and adopting advanced technologies, the Railways has solidified its role as a catalyst for national growth. Modern stations, state-of-the-art trains, and innovative safety systems are reshaping the landscape of rail travel. Committed to sustainability, the Railways is steadily moving towards greener operations while driving economic development through extensive infrastructure upgrades and capacity building. This year has reaffirmed its vision of becoming a world-class transportation network, blending tradition with innovation to meet the needs of a dynamic and evolving nation.

Enhancing Rail Track Infrastructure & Speed

Track Renewal Works:

• 6200 Track km rails have been renewed with new rails.
• Complete track renewal for 6450 track km have been done.
• Through Turnout Renewal of 8550 sets have been done.

Raising of sectional speed:

• Raising of sectional speed to 130 kmph has been done over 2000 track km covering parts of Golden Quadrilateral and Diagonal routes and other B routes.
• Raising of sectional speed to 110 kmph have been done over 7200 track km.

Project Engineering & Management

• All the pending cases of Engineering Department of various Zonal Railways on Indian Railways E-Procurement System (IREPS) have been disposed off under “onetime settlement scheme called “Vivad Se Vishwas II (Contractual Disputes)”.
• In order to address uncertainties in the Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) tendering mode, a new “Schedule G-1” has been included for separate Bill of Quantities (BoQ) for itemized works.
• Master policy for Dispute Redressal Mechanism has been issued for appointing the Conciliator/ DAB member/ SAT member/ Arbitrator(s) and fee payable to them.
• In case of Project Management Services (PMS)/ Project Supervision Services Agency (PSSA) contracts, Procedure order for Measurement, Test Check limit, Material passing and Payments etc. has been issued.
• To fast pace the completion of projects, Powers of Acceptance for Works Tenders have been enhanced to various Accepting Authority including full powers to Chief Administrative Officer/Construction for all works contracts including Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) tenders. Other powers of Modal SOP -2018 have also been delegated to field units for fast execution of projects.
• Electronic Reverse Auction (e-RA) for works tenders has been made optional only.
• Four new modules have been made for web based CRS Sanction Monitoring System
• Procedure Order for Opening of Minor works by Principal Chief Engineer in reference to the Gazette Notification for the Railways (opening for public Carriage of Passengers) Amendment Rules, 2024 has been issued.
• Modified MCNTM (Manpower and Cost Norms for Track Maintainers) formula- 2024 regarding 'norms/yardsticks for Track maintainers' has been issued.
• A new Primary Units (Objects) of Expenditure (Revenue) for outsourcing of manpower/ activities for track maintenance" has been created by naming "PU-49".
• Construction of Road Over Bridges (ROBs)/Road Under Bridges (RUBs) during the year 2024 (Jan to Nov.2024) is as under:
• Elimination of Manned Level Crossings - 718 Nos.
• Construction of ROBs/ RUBs -1024 Nos.

Gati Shakti Projects

Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal

In order to boost investment from industry in setting up of cargo terminals, ‘Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals (GCT) are being developed across the country.

• So far, 354 locations (327 on non-railway land and 27 on railway land) have been identified across the country.
• Till 31.10.2024, 91 GCTs have been commissioned.

Sanction of Three Economic Corridors in 2024

Under these three corridors namely

• Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridors;
• High Traffic Density Routes and
• Rail Sagar corridors.

A total 434 projects have been planned for implementation under these three corridors. In the calendar year 2024, a total of 58 projects out of total 434 projects were sanctioned across three economic corridors, with a combined completion cost of about Rs.88,875 crore and a total track length of about 4,107 kilometers.

• The Energy, Mineral & Cement Corridors accounted for 51 projects, spanning 2,911 kilometers with a completion cost of ₹57,313 crore.
• The High Traffic Density Routes included 5 projects, covering about 830 kilometers and costing about ₹11,280 crore.
• The Rail Sagar corridor had 2 projects, with a total track length of about 366 kilometers and a completion cost of about ₹20,282 crore.

Commissioning of projects in 2024 till date

From April 1, 2024, to date, Indian Railways has achieved a significant milestone by commissioning a total of 3433 km of railway projects. This includes:

• 1158 km of new railway lines,
• 259 km of gauge conversion projects, and
• 2016 km of doubling projects.

This accomplishment reflects Indian Railways' commitment to expanding and upgrading the country's rail infrastructure to improve connectivity and operational efficiency.

Station Redevelopment

• Under ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme’, 1337 stations have been identified for redevelopment.
• Out of 1337 stations, Tenders have been awarded and work has commenced in 1198 railway stations. Other Railway Stations are at different stages of tendering and planning. Redevelopment of Railway Stations across the country will have a multiplier effect in the economy with increased job creation and improved economic growth.
• Six railway stations viz Rani Kamlapati Station of West Central Railway, Gandhinagar Capital station of Western Railway, Sir M. Visveswaraya Terminal Station of Śouth Western Railway, first phase of Gomti Nagar Railway station of North Eastern Railway, Ayodhya railway station of Northern Railway and Cuttack Railway Station of East Coast Railway have been developed and commissioned.

Key Renewable Energy Milestones

• Indian Railways has set a target of becoming a Net Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030.
• As of November 2024, approximately 487 MW of solar plants (both rooftop and ground-mounted) and about 103 MW of wind power plants have been commissioned.
• Additionally, 100 MW of Renewable Energy – Round the Clock (RE-RTC) has also started flowing.
• Approximately 2014 MW of renewable capacity has been tied up.

Bullet Train Project

• Over 243 km of viaduct construction has been completed under the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project, along with 352 km of pier work and 362 km of pier foundation work.
• Bridges have been constructed across 13 rivers, and multiple railway lines and highways have been crossed through five steel bridges and two PSC bridges.
• Track construction in Gujarat is progressing rapidly, with RC (Reinforced Concrete) Track Bed construction underway in Anand, Vadodara, Surat, and Navsari districts. 71 track km of RC track bed construction has been completed, and welding of rails has commenced on the viaduct.
• In Maharashtra, the first concrete base-slab for the Mumbai Bullet Train Station has been successfully cast at a depth of 32 metres, equivalent to a 10-storey building. Work on the 21 km tunnel between Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Shilphata is underway, with an Intermediate Tunnel (ADIT) of 394 metres completed to facilitate main tunnel construction.
• Construction of seven mountain tunnels using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) is progressing in Palghar district. The only mountain tunnel in Gujarat has already been successfully completed.
• The 12 stations along the corridor, designed with thematic elements and energy-efficient features, are under rapid construction. These user-friendly and energy-positive stations are designed to provide a world-class passenger experience while prioritizing sustainability.

Capital Expenditure

Total Capex for 2024-25 is ₹ 2,65,200 cr, which is the highest amount allocated in the budget, till now.