Bengal's Rail Revolution: Centre Boosts Infrastructure, But State Hurdles Remain

• Indian Railways has significantly increased its annual budget allocation for West Bengal, tripling it to ₹13,955 crore after 2014, with projects worth over ₹87,862 crore currently underway.
• Since 2014, 1,362 km of new railway lines have been constructed in West Bengal, including the Mandar Hill-Rampurhat line and the Haldibari International Border line for Bangladesh connectivity.
• Extensive capacity enhancement projects like doubling and third lines (e.g., Rampurhat-Murarai, Panskura-Kharagpur) and gauge conversions (e.g., Burdwan-Katwa) have improved efficiency and connectivity.
• Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 101 stations in West Bengal are being redeveloped with an allocation of ₹3,600 crore, with Panagarh, Joychandi Pahar, and Kalyani Ghoshpara already inaugurated.
• Despite central investment, several key railway projects in West Bengal are stalled due to state-level land acquisition and coordination issues, hindering the state's development potential.

Why It Matters: Central investment drives significant railway development in West Bengal, but state-level issues impede progress.