Question : Survey on New Railway Lines

(a) whether the Government has conducted any survey for laying of railway lines between Phaphund-Konch and Orai-Jalaun;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has also conducted any survey in regard to construction of a new railway line between Keonjhar Banspani and Bimlagarh and if so, the outcomes of the survey report;

(d) the action taken by the Government on the basis of the above said outcome; and

(e) the time by which the work on these lines is likely to be commenced?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) : Yes Madam.

(b) : The survey for Phaphund-Konch (90 km) new line was completed in 2014 and as per the survey report, cost of the project was assessed as Rs.794 Crore (2014 price level) with a Rate of Return (ROR) of
1.52%. A survey for Orai-Jalaun-Konch (59 km) new line of has also been completed in 2012 and as per the survey report the project was

assessed at Rs.392 Crores (2012 price level) with a negative ROR of 31.12%.

(c): A Railway line already exists between Keonjhar and Banspani. Since Barsuan and Bimlagarh are also already connected by a railway line, survey for a new line between Banspani and Barsuan was conducted and this new line from Barsuan to Banspani has now been included in the Capital Investment Programme of 2016-17 in anticipation of State Government’s coming forward to take up these projects through Joint Venture.

(d) : Both the projects of Phaphund-Konch and Orai-Jalaun-Konch could not be taken forward due to its unremunerative nature and huge throwforward of projects. However, review of traffic potential and calculation of rate of return for Phaphund-Konch new line has been taken up. With regard to Orai-Jalaun-Konch new line, updating survey has been taken up to reassess its viability.

(e) : Completion of projects depends on a number of factors such as acquisition of land, forestry and wildlife clearances, shifting of various services, construction of Road Over Bridges/Road Under Bridges by road maintenance departments, apart from availability of adequate funds. Since many of these factors are beyond the control of the Ministry of Railways, therefore, it is not feasible to give time lines for completion of the projects.
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