Indian Railways Expands Its Presence in West Bengal
25 Dec 2024
2 Min Read
CW Team
West Bengal is experiencing a railway revolution as Indian Railways embarks on an ambitious effort to enhance connectivity and infrastructure across the state. With 43 ongoing projects, including new lines, gauge conversions, and track doubling, the state is poised for significant development.
On December 20, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that as of April 1, 2024, 43 projects鈥攃omprising 13 new lines, 4 gauge conversions, and 26 track doubling projects鈥攕panning 4,479 km and costing Rs 60,168 crore, will be located fully or partially within West Bengal.
Indian Railways has allocated Rs 204 billion these projects, which include those in the planning, approval, or construction stages. As of now, 1,655 km of track has been commissioned, with an expenditure of Rs 20,434 crore by March 2024. The projects are being carried out across the Eastern Railway (ER), South Eastern Railway (SER), and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zones.
Despite a threefold increase in annual fund allocation鈥攆rom Rs 4,380 crore (2009-14) to Rs 13,941 crore in 2024-25鈥攄elays in land acquisition have hindered progress. Of the 3,040 hectares required, only 21% has been acquired, leaving 79% still to be acquired.
Several projects are particularly delayed:
Nabadwipghat-Nabadwipdham New Line (10 km): 0.17 hectares of 106.86 hectares acquired.
Chandaneshwar-Jaleswar New Line (41 km): No progress on the 158 hectares needed.
Naihati-Ranaghat Third Line (36 km): 0.09 hectares out of 87.83 hectares secured.
Balurghat-Hilli New Line (30 km): 67.38 hectares acquired, 88 hectares pending.
Bypasses at Sainthia (5 km) and Sitarampur (7 km): 2.22 hectares of 22.28 hectares acquired.
The Ministry of Railways has introduced measures to speed up execution, including the formation of Gati Shakti units to streamline project implementation, prioritising high-impact projects, and giving field officers more decision-making powers. Close monitoring and coordination with state governments will address land acquisition challenges and accelerate approvals.
West Bengal is experiencing a railway revolution as Indian Railways embarks on an ambitious effort to enhance connectivity and infrastructure across the state. With 43 ongoing projects, including new lines, gauge conversions, and track doubling, the state is poised for significant development.
On December 20, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that as of April 1, 2024, 43 projects鈥攃omprising 13 new lines, 4 gauge conversions, and 26 track doubling projects鈥攕panning 4,479 km and costing Rs 60,168 crore, will be located fully or partially within West Bengal.
Indian Railways has allocated Rs 204 billion these projects, which include those in the planning, approval, or construction stages. As of now, 1,655 km of track has been commissioned, with an expenditure of Rs 20,434 crore by March 2024. The projects are being carried out across the Eastern Railway (ER), South Eastern Railway (SER), and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zones.
Despite a threefold increase in annual fund allocation鈥攆rom Rs 4,380 crore (2009-14) to Rs 13,941 crore in 2024-25鈥攄elays in land acquisition have hindered progress. Of the 3,040 hectares required, only 21% has been acquired, leaving 79% still to be acquired.
Several projects are particularly delayed:
Nabadwipghat-Nabadwipdham New Line (10 km): 0.17 hectares of 106.86 hectares acquired.
Chandaneshwar-Jaleswar New Line (41 km): No progress on the 158 hectares needed.
Naihati-Ranaghat Third Line (36 km): 0.09 hectares out of 87.83 hectares secured.
Balurghat-Hilli New Line (30 km): 67.38 hectares acquired, 88 hectares pending.
Bypasses at Sainthia (5 km) and Sitarampur (7 km): 2.22 hectares of 22.28 hectares acquired.
The Ministry of Railways has introduced measures to speed up execution, including the formation of Gati Shakti units to streamline project implementation, prioritising high-impact projects, and giving field officers more decision-making powers. Close monitoring and coordination with state governments will address land acquisition challenges and accelerate approvals.
Next Story
3i Infotech Reports Rs 7.25 Bn Revenue for FY25
3i Infotech, a leading provider of digital transformation, technology services and technology solutions, announced its consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and full year FY25, ended on March 31st, 2025. The company maintained its growth momentum, displaying consistent progress for the 3rd consecutive quarter.In Q4 FY25, 3i Infotech reported revenue of Rs 1.87 billion, reflecting steady performance compared to Rs 1.81 billion in Q3 FY25 and Rs 1.97 billion in Q4 FY24. The company delivered strong profitability improvements, with gross margin growing by 14.8 per cent Q-o-Q and 1..
Next Story
Emerald Finance Joins Baya PTE to Boost SME Bill Discounting
Emerald Finance is a dynamic company offering a spectrum of financial products and services including its flagship Earned Wage Access (EWA) in India, has entered into a strategic partnership with Singapore-based Baya PTE through its Indian subsidiary. This collaboration aims to strengthen bill discounting services for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), enabling faster access to working capital and improved cash flow management.The initiative is designed to support SMEs that supply to large corporates such as JSW Steel, Delhivery, and PVR INOX, among others. By facilitating timely invoice dis..
Next Story
BLS E-Services Crosses Rs 5 Bn Revenue Mark in FY25
BLS E-Services, a technology-enabled digital service provider, announced its audited consolidated financial results for the quarter and full year period ended 31 March 2025.Speaking about the performance and recent updates, Shikhar Aggarwal, Chairman, BLS E- Services said, 鈥淲e are delighted to report a remarkable performance in FY25, as we achieved several milestones during the fiscal year. FY25 marked our highest-ever financial performance, as we surpassed Rs 5 billion milestone in Total Income during the year, which was reported at Rs 5.45 billion, a notable YoY growth of 76 per cent. The ..
