(a) The criteria for taking up railway lines and Gauge conversion
projects;
(b) Whether the Government of Himachal Pradesh has requested for
allocation of more funds for the State in the Railway Budget and also
for conversion of railway lines; and
(c) If so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Railways
thereon?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI R.VELU)
(a): A statement is attached.
(b) & (c): Government of Himachal Pradesh has
requested for allocation
of more funds for Nangal Dam – Talwara (112 kms.)
new line project for
which an outlay of Rs. 14.71 crore has been provided in
the budget 2006-07.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF UNSTARRED
QUSTION NO. 1328 BY SHRIMATI PRATIBHA SINGH TO BE ANSWERED
IN LOK SABHA ON 03.08.2006 REGARDING FUNDS FOR RAILWAY
PROJECTS IN H. P.
(a):
(i) The policy for taking up new line projects was enunciated by the
National Transport Policy Committee in 1980. This policy states that new
lines would be taken up on the following criteria;
Project oriented lines to serve new industries for tapping mineral
and other resources.
Missing links for completing alternative routes to relieve
congestion on existing saturated routes.
Lines required for strategic reasons.
Lines for establishment of new growth centers or giving access to
remote areas.
(ii) The policy followed for selection of routes for gauge conversion
under Project Unigauge has been as under: -
To take up conversion of lines to develop alternative Broad Gauge
(BG) routes obviating the need for Doubling existing BG lines
on these routes.
To establish new BG links between stations connected by other BG
lines.
To establish BG connection to ports,industrial centres and locations
having potential for growth.
To take up conversion of lines required on strategic considerations.
To minimize transhipment and to improve wagon turn-around by
avoiding delays at transhipment points.
To carryout the conversion of lines as per the above policy at least
cost yet providing a standard of service not lower than what the
rail users were getting on the Metre Gauge.
Apart from the above, the financial viability of the project is also
taken into consideration. As per extant norms, a project is considered
financially justified if it yields a financial return of not less than 14%
under Discounted Cash Flow Method.