Railway Connectivity Projects

Railway Connectivity Projects

Overview

Railway Connectivity Projects are Indian Railways’ mega-infrastructure drives aimed at linking unconnected state capitals, major ports, religious & industrial hubs, border/NE areas and doubling/tripling saturated trunk routes. They are financed through Extra-Budgetary Resources (IRFC), Gross Budgetary Support, PPP, JVs with state governments and cost-sharing with ministries like Coal, Steel & Defence. Key umbrellas: Mission 2024 (Capitals & Ports), PM-Gati Shakki, Bharatmala & Amrit Bharat Stations.

Key Facts & Figures

Important Points

• Mission Antyodaya – 100 % rail connectivity to aspirational districts by 2025.
• Bharatmala Pariyojana synergy – 66 rail-road parallel projects worth ₹2.3 lakh cr.
• PM-Gati Shakti 7 engines – Railways, Roads, Ports, Air, Mass-Transit, Waterways, Logistics infra.
• Station redevelopment follows PPP & EPC mode; 50-year concession; no OFS land cost.
• DFC augments 45 % national freight share; expected to raise average goods speed to 70 km/h.
• USBRL made Kashmir accessible in all weather; 27 bridges & 37 tunnels (48 % alignment underground).
• Electrification saves ₹18,000 cr/yr in diesel bill; IR targets Net-Zero by 2030.
• NFR’s Chicken Neck area (Siliguri corridor) triple-line sanctioned under critical connectivity.
• Port connectivity – 15 Major ports linked to DFC; last mile to Paradip, Deendayal, Tuticorin underway.
• NE special package – ₹74,000 cr outlay; 20 line projects, 13 new BG lines since 2014.
• RORO & Roll-on ferry services started on Digha-Jaleswar & Ghoga-Dahej to bypass congested routes.
• Kavach is SIL-4 certified; manufactured by 3 firms – HBL, Kernex, Medha.
• Gati Shakti cargo terminals allow private siding owners 25-year lease & 50 % freight rebate first 5 yrs.
• Amrit Bharat stations retain heritage façade; concourse redeveloped to 24×7 airport-like plaza.
• RailTel provides OFC redundancy along 62,000 Rkm; enables 5G readiness & Kavach backhaul.

Frequently Asked in Exams

1. Which two states are yet to get BG rail connectivity? – Meghalaya & Mizoram.
2. World’s highest rail bridge located on which river? – Chenab (J&K).
3. Total length & two corridors of DFC. – 2,843 km (EDFC, WDFC).
4. Financing pattern of USBRL project. – 90 % Central share + 10 % J&K UT.
5. Target year for 100 % electrification of IR network. – December 2024.

Practice MCQs

Question:01 The Chenab rail bridge is higher than the Eiffel Tower by approximately

A) 15 m

B) 25 m

C) 35 m

D) 45 m

Question:02 Which of the following is NOT a subsidiary objective of PM-Gati Shakti?

A) Reduce logistics cost

B) Last-mile connectivity to ports

C) Privatise Indian Railways

D) Multimodal integration

Question:03 Bogibeel bridge connects which two states?

A) Assam – Arunachal Pradesh

B) Assam – Nagaland

C) Assam – Meghalaya

D) Bihar – Jharkhand

Question:04 The longest tunnel of Indian Railways (Pir Panjal) is located in

A) Himachal Pradesh

B) Uttarakhand

C) Jammu & Kashmir

D) Sikkim

Question:05 What is the sanctioned route-kilometres of Dedicated Freight Corridors (both EDFC & WDFC)?

A) 2,843 km
B) 3,300 km
C) 2,360 km
D) 1,837 km

Question:06 Mission 2024 aims to connect all state capitals except those already connected; which of the following capitals was the last to get BG rail?

A) Itanagar

B) Aizawl

C) Gangtok

D) Kohima

Question:07 The cost-sharing ratio for Northeast rail projects is generally

A) 50 : 50 (Centre : State)

B) 75 : 25 (Centre : State)

C) 90 : 10 (Centre : State)

D) 100 % by Centre

Question:08 Which organisation is the nodal implementing agency for the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) project?

A) RVNL

B) DFCCIL

C) IRCON

D) CRIS

Question:09 Kavach automatic train protection system works on which frequency band?

A) GSM-R 900 MHz
B) ISM 2.4 GHz
C) UHF 400 MHz
D) LTE 700 MHz