189 new rail lines under construction: govt

Goyal said railway projects are sanctioned zone-wise and the expenditure on new line projects up to March, 2019 has been Rs 76,917 crore

New Delhi: As many as 189 new railway lines costing Rs 3.74 lakh crore are in different stages of construction across India, Piyush Goyal, Railway Minister stated in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Piyush Goyal informed that the railway projects are sanctioned zone-wise and the expenditure on new line projects up to March, 2019 has been Rs 76,917 crore. "As on April 1, 2019, the Indian Railways have taken up 189 new line projects of length 2,555 km, costing Rs 3,74,753 crore, which are in different stages of execution or planning or sanction," he said during Question Hour.

Recently, rejecting the opposition's allegation that the government is working to privatise the national transporter, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal asserted there is "no question" of privatisation, but said the ministry will invite investments for new technology, lines and projects in the national interest. Goyal replied in the Lok Sabha to the discussion on Demands for Grants of the railways and reeled out figures to claim that the Narendra Modi government has performed much better in boosting both infrastructure and safety parameters of the national transporter as compared to the UPA era.

"There is no question of privatisation of the railways. The railways cannot be privatised. However, if we have to increase the facilities in railways then obviously we need investments for it. We have taken a decision to encourage public-private partnerships and we will also corporatise some units. "We should invite investment in the national interest if someone is ready to get new technology, new stations, projects and lines," the minister told the House.

With inputs from PTI

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