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Indian Railways to take up 423 km of new lines in West Bengal: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Indian Railways will take up 423 km of new rail line projects in West Bengal, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. Check the details.
Indian Railways plans 423 km of new lines for West Bengal (Image generated using AI)
New railway line projects in West Bengal: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said 423 km of new lines will be taken up in West Bengal. The move aims to further improve regional connectivity, strengthen freight and passenger movement. The rail infrastructure projects in the state falls under the jurisdiction of three railway zones: Eastern Railway (ER), South Eastern Railway (SER) and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zones.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Vaishnaw said that several railway projects in West Bengal were sanctioned as individual or as part of ongoing projects. However, many of them could not be taken up due to issues such as delays in land acquisition, law and order problems, and lack of cooperation from the state government. He added that, considering public demand, the Railways has decided to take up these projects again.
New Line Projects Revived on Public Demand
Considering demand from the public, it has been decided to take up the following new line projects again:
17
New line projects revived
423 Km
Combined route length
65 Km
Longest: Bakura (Kalabati)-Purilia via Hura
All 17 Projects, Ranked by Length
Bakura (Kalabati)-Purilia via Hura
65 Km
Raiganj-Dalkhola
43 Km
Prantik-Siuri
34 Km
Bowaichandi-Arambagh
31 Km
Nandakumar-Balaipanda
28 Km
Gazole-Itahar
27 Km
Itahar-Buniadpur
27 Km
Kanthi-Egra
26 Km
Bowaichandi-Khana
24 Km
Raiganj-Itahar
22 Km
Bangaon-Poramaheshtala
20 Km
Chalsa-Naxal
20 Km
Rajabhatkhawa-Jaintia
15 Km
Chandbazar-Bagdah
14 Km
Bangaon-Chandbazar
12 Km
Ranaghat (Aranghata)-Duttaphulia
8 Km
Nandigram-Kandiamari (Nayachar)
7 Km
All 17 projects are new lines, predominantly in West Bengal, spanning lengths from 7 Km to 65 Km.
Source: Rajya Sabha
The Union Minister further said that the West Bengal government has constituted a task force, headed by the Chief Secretary, to speed up railway connectivity projects, monitor their progress, and help resolve implementation issues across the state.
The minister further said that 21 railway line projects worth Rs 36,651 crore are currently under way in West Bengal. These are as follows:
West Bengal Ongoing Railway Projects, by Cost
₹36,651 Cr
Total sanctioned cost, 21 projects
1,187 Km
Combined route length
₹11,973 Cr
Highest: Sivok-Rangpo New Line (44 Km)
All 21 Projects, Ranked by Cost
Bars scaled on a log axis (wide range: ₹190 Cr to ₹11,973 Cr)
Sivok-Rangpo New Line (44 Km)
₹11,973 Cr
Kharagpur-Adityapur 3rd Line (132 Km)
₹3,450 Cr
Narayangarh-Bhadrak 3rd Line (153 Km)
₹3,425 Cr
Santragachi-Kharagpur 4th Line (111 Km)
₹2,905 Cr
Chandil-Damodar 3rd Line (121 Km)
₹1,932 Cr
Aluabari Road-New Jalpaiguri 3rd & 4th Line (57 Km)
₹1,630 Cr
Sainthia-Pakur 4th Line (81 Km)
₹1,569 Cr
Tarakeshwar-Bishnupur New Line (83 Km)
₹1,542 Cr
Balurghat-Hilli New Line (30 Km)
₹1,209 Cr
Kaliyaganj-Buniadpur New Line (33 Km)
₹1,147 Cr
Murarai-Barharwa 3rd Line (49 Km)
₹935 Cr
Katihar-Kumedpur & Katihar-Mukuria Doubling (65 Km)
₹943 Cr
Thakurganj-Siliguri Doubling (56 Km)
₹916 Cr
Barbenda-Damrughutu Doubling & 3rd/4th Line (52 Km)
₹815 Cr
Ranaghat-Krishnanagar City 3rd Line (26 Km)
₹446 Cr
Dankuni-Baltikuri 3rd & 4th Line (18 Km)
₹429 Cr
Ranaghat-Bangaon Doubling (33 Km)
₹396 Cr
Kalipahari-Bakhtarnagar 5th Line (18 Km)
₹350 Cr
Hijli to Nimpura Through Yard 3rd Line (6 Km)
₹234 Cr
Doubling of New Jalpaiguri-Siliguri (7 Km)
₹215 Cr
Bypass Line at Rampur Hat (12 Km)
₹190 Cr
The Sivok-Rangpo New Line, though only 44 Km long, is by far the costliest project — roughly 3.5x the next most expensive project — reflecting the difficult Himalayan terrain it traverses.
Source: Rajya Sabha
Chingrighata metro work update
The Railway Minister said the state government granted permission in May 2026 for the temporary diversion of traffic at Chingrighata crossing to facilitate the launching of viaduct segments for the Kolkata Metro project. He said the approval came nearly 1.5 years after the Railways made the request, and the work at the Chingrighata crossing was completed in May 2026.
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