Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday (August 28) said that the average construction pace of Indian Railways has improved significantly under the Narendra Modi government, with 14.5 kilometers of tracks being laid daily. The minister also revealed that the railways have expanded the network by adding 5,300 kilometers of new railway lines over the past year. He highlighted that, a decade ago, the average pace was just 4 kilometers per day. Also ReadMumbai local train update: Western Railway announces 35 days mega block, impact on services from today – Here’s why "10 years ago, the average construction pace in Railways was 4 km per day. Today, it is 14.5 km per day of railway lines being constructed. 5300 km of railway lines were added to the existing network last year,” Vaishnaw said. The railway minister made these comments during a Cabinet briefing in New Delhi, where he discussed the decisions made by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the committee also unveiled three new railway projects valued at Rs 6,456 crore. Also ReadIndian Railways enhances vigilance with round-the-clock patrolling after Sabarmati Express derailment Indian Railways expansion The projects stem from the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, designed to boost multi-modal connectivity. They cover seven districts across four states—Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh—and will extend the Indian Railways network by approximately 300 kilometers. The initiatives will add 14 new stations and enhance connectivity in two aspirational districts, Nuapada and East Singhbhum. According to the Railways Minister, the projects are projected to link around 1,300 villages and benefit approximately 1.1 million people. Also ReadIndian Railways to expand: Cabinet approves Rs 6,456 crore for three major projects Railways should be above politics, says Vaishnaw Under pressure from political criticism over railway accidents, Vaishnaw said that the national transporter should not be a target of political blame, as it is crucial to the nation's functioning. He noted that troubling trends have been observed in some incidents and emphasised that the railways is conducting thorough investigations into each case. "There are some disturbing trends in some incidents, which should be taken seriously," Vaishnaw said. "Railways and defence are organizations which should be above politics. I don't believe that railways should be a subject of political blame game," the minister said.
