Ongoing Railway Projects in Bihar
Railway projects are sanctioned Zonal Railway wise and not State-wise as Indian Railways’ network straddles across various State boundaries. However, as on 01.04.2025, 57 projects (35 new lines, 05 gauge conversions and 17 doublings), costing Rs.74,880 crore, covering a length of 5267 Km, falling fully/ partly in the State of Bihar are in different stages of planning/ approval/ execution, out of which 1306 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of Rs.22,123 crore has been incurred upto March, 2025.
Since 2025-15, 17 projects of 1180 Km length costing Rs.13,259 crore, falling fully/ partly in Bihar, have been completed and commissioned and also, during this period 18 projects of 1,412 Km length costing Rs.16,833 crore, falling fully/ partly in Bihar, have been included in Budget.
Project-wise detail including cost, expenditure incurred and outlay are made available in public domain on Indian Railways website i.e. www.indianrailways.gov.in > Ministry of Railways > Railway Board > About Indian Railways > Railway Board Directorates > Finance (Budget) > Pink Book (Year) > Railway-wise Works, Machinery & Rolling Stock Programme (RSP) .
Budget Allocation for Infrastructure projects and safety works falling fully/ partly in Bihar:
Average annual Budget allocation for infrastructure and safety works, falling fully/ partly in State of Bihar during 2014-19, has increased to Rs.3,061 crore per year from Rs.1,132 crore per year (during 2009-14), which is 170% more than average annual budget outlay of 2009-14 and budget outlay of Rs.4,093 crore was provided for financial year 2025-20 which is 262% more than average annual budget outlay of 2009-14. For financial year 2025-21, budget outlay of Rs.4,489 crore has been provided for these works which is 297% more with respect to average budget outlay of 2009-14.
Commissioning of Infrastructure projects and safety works falling fully/ partly in Bihar:
During 2025-19, 695 Km length of New Lines/ Gauge Conversion/ Doubling projects falling fully/ partly in the State of Bihar has been commissioned which is 119% more than the commissioning during 2009-14 (318 Km). During 2025-20, 231 Km length of New Lines/ Gauge Conversion/ Doubling has been commissioned which is 261% more than average commissioning during 2009-14 (63.6 Km/ year).
Completion of a Railway project depends on various factors like quick land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance by officials of forest department, shifting of infringing utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities, geological and topographical conditions of area, law and order situation in the area of project site, number of working months in a year for particular project site, due to climatic conditions, etc. and all these factors differ from project to project and affect the completion time of the project.
To ensure that projects are completed in time without cost overrun, lot of monitoring is done in Railways at various levels (field level, Divisional level, Zonal level and Board level) and regular meetings are held with the officials of State Government and concerned authorities to resolve the pending issues obstructing the progress of projects.
Besides, to ensure that projects are completed even before time, Railway has adopted the concept of incentives to the contractor in the form of bonus clause in contracts, which will further enhance the pace of execution of projects.
Further, for capacity enhancement projects institutional financing has been arranged, which has increased Railways’ capacity for committed fund provision for capacity enhancement projects.
This information was given by the Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Here’s a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of ongoing railway projects in Bihar, including new lines, doubling, station redevelopment, and metro expansion:
1. Electrification, Station Upgrades & Infrastructure Rollout
- 100% railway electrification achieved across Bihar.
- Rs 86,458 crore invested across 57 active projects, including new lines, doubling, gauge conversions, and station upgrades.
- 98 Amrit Bharat station redevelopments are underway (e.g., Patna, Danapur, Rajgir, Jehanabad) as part of the Rs 3,164 crore initiative.
- Kavach safety system deployment is ongoing across 1,783 km.
- 12 Vande Bharat trains now serve 15 districts, with the Darbhanga Amrit Bharat Express also operational.
2. Major New Line Projects & Track Doubling
- Neora–Daniyawan & Barbigha–Sheikhpura new line: 59 km, ~67% completed, easing congestion on the Patna–Kiul main line.
- Two Greenlit New Lines (Total 161 km):
- Laheriasarai–Saharsa (95 km): ₹2,376 cr, includes bridges, underpasses, 10 new stations.
- Laheriasarai–Muzaffarpur (66 km): ₹1,213 cr, includes station near AIIMS Darbhanga.
- Other key projects:
- Bhagalpur–Jamalpur third line (53 km): ₹1,156 cr
- Bakhtiyarpur–Rajgir–Tilaiya doubling (104 km): ₹2,017 cr
- Rampurhat–Bhagalpur doubling (177 km): ₹3,000 cr
- Two new major doubling projects:
- Narkatiaganj–Raxaul–Sitamarhi–Darbhanga
- Sitamarhi–Muzaffarpur
Covering 256 km, supporting 12 lakh residents in 168 villages.
- Additional Projects Approved:
- Muzaffarpur–Darbhanga new line (67.4 km): ₹2,514 cr
- Bhagalpur–Jamalpur third line (53 km): ₹1,094 cr
- Gaya–Daltonganj line (136.9 km): ₹426 cr
- Chiraila–Bagahabishunpur bypass (10 km)
3. Rail Bridge & Overbridges Developments
- Vikramshila–Katareah rail bridge over Ganga: Tender invited for a double-line bridge under a new 26 km alignment (~₹2,549 cr).
- Six Railway Over Bridges (ROBs) are nearing completion in Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur, Sitamarhi, Bhagalpur regions—most expected by end-2025.
4. Metro Expansion & Rapid Rail Initiatives
- Patna Metro – Blue Line (Patna Junction to New ISBT):
- Phase-1 (6.1 km) to launch August 2025
- Full line (~14.5 km) by December 2028.
- Darbhanga Metro: Feasibility study complete; service forecasted by 2029.
- Namo Bharat Rapid Train: Launching soon, enables Gaya–Ayodhya travel in just 6 hours—boosting regional connectivity and tourism.
5. Flagship Passenger Service Launch
- Gorakhpur ↔ Patliputra Vande Bharat Express inaugurated June 2025: 384 km in ~7 h 5 m, operating six days/week.
Summary Table
| Project Type | Key Ongoing or Recent Initiatives |
|---|---|
| Electrification & Stations | 100% electrification; 98 Amrit Bharat upgrades |
| New Lines & Doubling | Multiple corridor projects underway (Neora–Daniyawan, Laheriasarai links) |
| Mega Bridge Work | Vikramshila–Katareah Ganga bridge |
| ROBs | Six ROBs under construction across districts |
| Metro Projects | Patna Blue Line and Darbhanga feasibility underway |
| Rapid Rail & Train Launch |
If you’d like more visual maps, completion timelines, or details about specific routes or infrastructure features, I’m happy to help!