(a) whether the Government proposes to transform India''s railway network with new track and high-speed trains;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the progress made in this regard so far;
(d) whether the Government has set any time frame to achieve the said objectives; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)
(a) to (e): Indian Railways has identified 77 projects for doubling on the highly congested network so as to augment its capacity to carry passenger and goods traffic substantially. These projects have been included in the Railway Budget 2015-16 subject to requisite approvals. Out of these 77 projects, 21 projects have already received Government approval. The augmentation of network is a continuous and ongoing process. However, it is Indian Railways’ endeavour to improve its network substantially over the next five years.
It has been decided to undertake implementation of the 508 Km long Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor with technical and financial assistance from Japan. The project is targeted for completion within seven years from the start of construction.
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