Question : Promoting Standard Gauge

(a) whether the Government proposes to promote standard gauge in India and; if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Railways has deviated from broad gauge to standard gauge and; if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Railways has received any proposal from Kerala for standard gauge in K-Rail / Silver Line Project and; if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government has examined the feasibility of standard gauge on the basis of interconnectivity between the States and; if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government proposes to introduce standard gauge in all the States and; if so, the details thereof;

(f) whether the Government has examined the K-Rail/Silver Line Project and; if so, the details thereof and decision taken thereon;

(g) whether the Government has recommended for foreign financial aid for K-Rail Project and; if so, the details thereof; and

(h) whether the Railways has signed any agreement/mutual understanding on handing over railway land/line to any State Government and; if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (h): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (h) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1338 BY SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN AND PROF. SOUGATA RAY TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 09.02.2022 REGARDING PROMOTING STANDARD GAUGE

(a) & (b) No, Sir.

(c) Yes, Sir. After survey, Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Semi High Speed Rail Project (530.6 km) from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod has been submitted to Ministry of Railways by Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL).

(d) & (e) No, Sir.

(f) In reference to the DPR submitted by KRDCL, KRDCL has been advised to provide detailed technical documents such as alignment plan, particulars of railway land and private land and crossings over existing Railway network, duly depicting affected Railway assets through Zonal Railway for detailed examination of the project.

(g) No, Sir. Application for availing financing to the tune of ? 33,700 Crore from various multilateral funding agencies (JICA, ADB, AII and KfW) has been submitted to Department of Economic Affairs by Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL).

(h) On the request of State Government, the sparable railway land is leased as per the provisions of Railway’s extant policy for various public utilities works, for which agreement is executed with State Government.


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