Udaipur Aahmedabad Gauge Conversion Latest News
Udaipur Aahmedabad Gauge Conversion Latest News
Udaipur Aahmedabad Gauge Conversion in 2025
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 1544
ANSWERED ON: 27.11.2025
Udaipur-Ahmedabad Gauge Conversion
Arjunlal Meena
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:-
(a) the budget allocated for metre gauge to broad gauge conversion of Udaipur-Ahmedabad Section along with the amount so far spent out of this budget;
(b) the time by which the said conversion is likely to be completed;
(c) the total length of metre gauge to be converted into broad gauge along with the length of tract converted into broad gauge;
(d) the number of tunnels in the way of said gauge conversion along with the time by which the work of these tunnels are likely to be completed; and
(e) the number of railway stations upgraded in the said gauge conversion along with the details of the facilities likely to be made available?
ANSWER – MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)
(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1544 BY SHRI ARJUN LAL MEENA TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 27.11.2025 REGARDING UDAIPUR-AHMEDABAD GAUGE CONVERSION
(a) to (d): Ahmedabad-Himmatnagar-Udaipur gauge conversion including Modasa-Shamlaji Road new line project (317.73 Km) was sanctioned in 2008-09 and the latest cost of the project is Rs. 1667 crore and expenditure of Rs. 1234 crore has been incurred upto March, 2025. An outlay of Rs. 532.38 crore has been provided for the complete project during 2019-20.
Due to limited availability of funds in the earlier years, there has been little progress on this project. However, since 2014-15, the Budget allotment for this project has improved and the project execution work has been expedited.
Gauge conversion work of Ahmedabad-Himmatnagar (87.25 Km) section has been completed upto March, 2019 and work has been taken up in balance Himmatnagar-Udaipur section and project is progressing well. Also, sufficient funds have been made available during 2025-20 to the project for early completion.
During financial year 2025-20, 24 Km long section from Himmatnagar-Raighadh Road has already been completed and 24.26 Km long section from Udaipur-Kharwachanda is also planned for completion during the same year.
On this project, challenging work of 01 long tunnel of around 850 metre and 2 short tunnels of around 150 metre and 100 metre length are to be constructed, for which, agencies have been finalized and construction work taken up.
The timely completion of any Railway project depends on various factors like quick land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance by officials of forest departments, shifting of infringing utilities (both underground and over ground), 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 projects site due to climatic considerations, encountering unforeseen conditions like earthquake, flooding excessive rains, strikes of labour, orders of Hon’ble Courts, situation and conditions of working agencies/ contractors etc. and all these factors affect the completion of the project. Therefore, presently confirmed timeline for completion of the project cannot be given.
(e): Total 16 Nos. of metre gauge stations have been converted into broad gauge stations in Ahmedabad-Himmatnagar section. Out of these, 02 D class stations i.e. Rakhiyal and Prantij have been upgraded from D class to B class. In Udaipur-Himmatnagar section, 20 railway stations (12 crossing and 08 halt) are being upgraded.
All essential amenities depending upon category of Stations viz; platform shelter, Foot Over Bridge at crossing stations, boundary walls, water booth, waiting halls, sitting benches, toilets, high level platforms have been planned/provided including desirable facilities for divyangjan like ramps, water booths and toilets, etc.
Here’s the latest verified update (mid‑2025) on the Udaipur–Ahmedabad Broad Gauge Conversion and Electrification Project, along with key developments and future outlook:
Contents
🔁 Project Overview: Udaipur ↔ Ahmedabad Broad Gauge Conversion
- The Ahmedabad–Udaipur route (around 297 km), originally metre gauge, was fully converted to broad gauge by mid‑2025.
- Conversion completed on 10 August 2025; DEMU services began shortly after
- The corridor connects key districts in Rajasthan and Gujarat—Banswara, Dungarpur, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Bundi, Rajsamand, Bhilwara—and leverages a major rail tunnel (~821 m) near forested terrain
⚡ Electrification Status (As of May 2025)
- Total route length: ~299 km.
- 227 km electrified by July 2025, covering Udaipur to Himmatnagar; remaining ~70 km section (Bichiwada to Himmatnagar) was in progress and nearing completion by end‑2025
- The full electrified track was formally inaugurated virtually by PM Modi on 22 May 2025, marking operational readiness.
Four trains already running end‑to‑end with electric locomotives (including Jaipur‑Asarwa, Indore‑Asarwa, Kota‑Asarwa, Agra‑Asarwa Expresses)
🚆 Train Services: Current & Upcoming
- As of early 2025, only one express (Asarwa–Udaipur Express) runs on the route, while other approved services (e.g. Jaipur–Asarwa–Jaipur) remain pending despite clearance, due to cross‑zonal coordination challenges and rake availability issues
- Plans are in place for a new Vande Bharat service between Udaipur and Asarwa/Ahmedabad, proposed to run six days a week with travel time under five hours (~6:10 AM departure, ~10:25 AM arrival). This service is in advanced planning stage but not yet operational or formally flagged off
⏳ Travel Time and Connectivity Benefits
- When operational, this route is expected to reduce journey length by about 165 km and save 3 hours over existing longer routes via Ratlam or Kota → Mumbai/South India
- The corridor strengthens direct connectivity of South Rajasthan with Gujarat and further to Maharashtra and southern states.
📊 Status Summary Table
| Milestone | Current Status (mid-2025) |
|---|---|
| BG Conversion | ✅ Completed by Aug 2025 |
| Electrification | ✅ 227 km complete; full line operational as of May 2025 |
| DEMU/Passenger Services | ✅ Limited DEMU services; express services pending |
| Vande Bharat Proposal | 🕒 Planned (Udaipur–Ahmedabad); final scheduling pending |
| Infrastructure Challenges | 🚩 Coordination issues between WR and NWR, terminal readiness |
✅ Key Takeaways
- Gauge conversion and electrification are fully done, enabling electric traction throughout the stretch.
- Only select trains currently run, with the railways yet to launch the full complement of approved services.
- Future Vande Bharat trains are expected, significantly cutting travel time and improving regional linkages.
- Connectivity and tourism potential are set to rise once full services—including Ahmedabad to Mumbai/South India flows—begin.
📍 Additional Notes
- Initial DEMU runs (Asarwa–Dungarpur) have seen low patronage due to inconvenient timings. Coordination challenges are delaying expansion of train services
- Redevelopment work at Ahmedabad main station (Asarwa/Old terminus) is ongoing, and train scheduling depends on its timely completion
Let me know if you’d like:
- The tentative schedule or fare info for proposed Vande Bharat services.
- Specific stoppage or routing details for trains on this new route.
- A map of alignment, stations, and interconnectivity with other corridors.
Happy to assist further!