(a) whether the Railways propose new railway lines on Solapur, Tuljapur, Osmanabad, Kunthalgiri, Beed, Gevrai, Paithan, Aurangabad, Verul, Sillod to Jalgaon via Ajanta section in Maharashtra;
(b) if so, the details and the present status thereof;
(c) the details of funds allocated and spent thereon; and
(d) the timeframe set for implementation of the said projects?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)
(a) to (d): Survey for a new line from Solapur to Jalgaon (454 km) covering Tuljapur, Osmanabad, Kunthalgiri, Beed, Paithan, Aurangabad, Verul, Sillod and Ajanta Caves has been completed. The cost of this line has been assessed as Rs. 3161 crore with a negative Rate of Return of (-) 5.94%. Due to unremunerative nature of this project and huge throwforward of ongoing projects, limited availability of funds and competing priorities, this project has not been taken forward.