Railway land: 1068 hectares encroached, markets & homes built

• Indian Railways has 4.99 lakh hectares of land, with 1068.54 hectares encroached upon as of March 31, 2025.
• Encroachment, including slums and illegal structures, has grown since independence, hindering railway projects like station expansion and multi-tracking.
• Railways use the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, with RPF and local administration, to remove illegal occupations.
• Evicted land is used for infrastructure or leased commercially by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) to generate revenue.
• The eviction process is ongoing and complex due to legal and human factors involved in each case.

Why It Matters: Railway land encroachment blocks development; reclaiming it generates revenue and improves safety.