Railway Project Delays Surged From 56 To 98 In Just One Year: Report

The Indian Railways remains in the second position among 24 different infrastructure sectors when it comes to the highest count of projects that have experienced delays. The top position is held by the road transport and highways sector.

The number of projects related to infrastructure development within the railways that have encountered delays has raised from 56 instances in 2022 to 98 instances in 2023, according to a report by the New Indian Express. Out of the ten mega projects that are currently facing delays in the country, seven of them belong to the Indian Railways. One prominent example is the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail line, which is now more than 21 years behind its original schedule.

The primary factors contributing to project delays include postponements in land acquisition, clearance procurement, tender processes, contractual challenges, insufficient workforce, technical approval delays, law and order issues, and legal disputes overseen by the relevant monitoring division of the Central government. As of August 1, 2023, several notable railway projects are experiencing substantial delays and budget overruns.

For instance, the Ramganjmund-Bhopal rail line project under the Western Railway, which was sanctioned in 2002 with an initial estimated cost of Rs 425 crore, has been significantly delayed, with costs now exceeding Rs 3,032 crore. Similarly, the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail line project, sanctioned in 1995 with an original budget of Rs 2,500 crore, has encountered a delay of more than 21 years and cost overruns, resulting in the budget expanding to Rs 37,012 crore.

The Lalitpur-Satna-Rewa Singruli project, approved in 1998 with an initial estimated cost of Rs 248 crore, is also facing delays and has seen its budget escalate to Rs 8,249 crore. Another example is the new BG rail line from Byrnihat to Shilong, sanctioned in 2010 with an original budget of Rs 906 crore, which is now delayed, leading to a budget increase to Rs 8,324 crore.

The report also highlights the eastern dedicated freight corridor project of the railway system, sanctioned in 2006 with an estimated budget of Rs 11,589 crore, which is running behind its original schedule and has experienced a budget increase to Rs 51,219 crore. Apart from the railways, the road transport and highways sector is also facing delays in 419 projects from their initially planned completion dates, resulting in significant budget inflation.

Collectively, the original cost of all 1,646 projects, including those in the railway sector, amounted to Rs 23,92,837.89 crore, and the expected completion cost is projected to reach Rs 28,58,394.39 crore.

Presently, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation's Infrastructure and Project Monitoring Division is overseeing a total of 1,646 infrastructure projects spanning across 24 sectors, with 148 of these projects pertaining to the Indian Railways. In a report from July 2023 that was shared with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and other branches of the Central government, it was highlighted that among these 1,646 projects, a significant number of 809 projects (including 98 railway projects) are facing delays from their initially planned completion dates. Within this group of 809 projects, 213 of them (including nine railway projects) are experiencing exceptionally lengthy delays, resulting in considerable cost overruns.