Plan for Track Renewal

Track Renewal Targets are fixed every year. The details of Track Renewal Targets during Twelfth Plan period (i.e. 2012-13 to 2016-17), Zone-wise are as below:

Zonal Railway	Target (in Km)
Central Railway	1040
Eastern Railway	981
East Central Railway	857
East Coast Railway	417
Northern Railway	2293
North Central Railway	906
North Eastern Railway	395
Northeast Frontier Railway	243
North Western Railway	227
Southern Railway	672
South Central Railway	965
South Eastern Railway	629
South East Central Railway	551
South Western Railway	538
Western Railway	908
West Central Railway	846
Total	12468

            Track renewal is an ongoing process which is undertaken as and when a stretch of track becomes due for renewal on age-cum-condition basis. Track Renewal works are planned in advance every year and their execution is prioritized according to the condition of track and overall availability of funds ensuring all the time that track is in a sound condition for safe running of trains. In case, if any stretch of track is not renewed in time due to various reasons including scarcity of funds, material etc., suitable speed restrictions are imposed to ensure safe running of trains. As on 31.03.2016, track renewal covering 5900 km of track renewal have been sanctioned, out of which 2668 km is targetted for the year 2016-17. As per norms, track renewal works are to be completed within two to three years of sanction. This, however, also depends on budget availability.

             Budget outlay in year 2016-17 has been enhanced from Rs. 4000 crores to Rs. 7500 crores to speed up the track renewal works in the country. Accordingly, physical targets have also been increased from   1500 km to 2668 km. On Northern Railway, budget outlay has been increased from Rs.391 Cr to  Rs. 1150 Cr.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 18.11.2016 (Friday).