Project Unigauge

Comparison of different gauges common in India with standard gauge which is not common in India

The image shows still surviving meter gauge tracks in Gujarat, India

Project Unigauge is an ongoing exercise by Indian Railways to standardise most of the rail gauges in India to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge.

Indian Railways currently has significant lengths of four different gauges: the 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge, the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) metre gauge, and two narrow gauges 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) and 2 ft (610 mm). The total length of track used by Indian Railways was about 115,000 km (71,000 mi) while the total route length of the network was 65,000 km (40,000 mi) in 2011.^[1]

Current status

Gauge	Name	March 2015 Track km	Track share	March 2015 Route km	Route share	2015  Electrified Route km	1951  Route km	1951  Route share
1676 mm	Broad gauge	108500	94%	59400	91%	26269 [2]	25258	47.0%
1000 mm	Metre gauge	5000	4%	4100	7%		24185	45.0%
762 and 610 mm	Narrow gauges	1500	2%	1500	2%		4300	8.0%
	Total:	115000		65000			53743

Heritage lines that will not be converted

A single metre-gauge line and four narrow-gauge lines on which heritage trains run in hilly regions will not be converted to broad gauge. These are:

Name of heritage railway line	Gauge mm	Track km	State	from (plains)	to (hills)
Nilgiri Mountain Railway	1,000 mm	46	Tamil Nadu	Mettupalayam/MTP	Udagamandalam (Ooty)/UAM
Kalka–Shimla Railway	762 mm	94	Himachal Pradesh	Kalka/KLK	Shimla/SML
Kangra Valley Railway	762 mm	164	Himachal Pradesh	Pathankot/PTK	Joginder Nagar/JDNX
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway	610 mm	79	West Bengal	New Jalpaiguri/NJP	Darjeeling/DJ
Matheran Hill Railway	610 mm	20	Maharashtra	Neral/NRL	Matheran/MAE
Total:		395

A demand has been made to convert Pathankot-Dharamshala-Joginder Nagar railway line into broad gauge but no decision has been taken.^[3]

Routes remaining to be converted in 2016

• Western Railway

1. Ahmedabad - Botad (177 km)
2. Ahmedabad - Khed Brahma (142 km)
3. Ahmedabad - Ranuj (114 km)
4. Himmatnagar - Udaipur (209 km)
5. Ambliyasan - Vijapur (42 km)
6. Bhadran - Nadiad (58 km) (NG)
7. Bilimora - Waghai (63 km) (NG)
8. Chandod - Dabhoi (17 km) (NG)
9. Choranda - Moti Koral (19 km) (NG)
10. Dabhoi - Malsar (70 km) (NG)
11. Jetpur - Lathi (87 km)
12. Junagadh - Delvada (159 km)
13. Kosamba - Umarpada (61 km) (NG)
14. Pratapnagar - Jambusar (51 km) (NG)
15. Mahesana - Taranga Hill (57 km)
16. Veraval - Talala - Dhasa Jn. (190 km)

• North Eastern Railway

1. Bihariganj - Banmankhi (28 km)
2. Dohrighat - Indara (33 km)
3. Gonda - Mailani (266 km)
4. Jhanjharpur - Laukaha Bazar (62 km)
5. Jhanjharpur - Nirmali (32 km)
6. Lucknow (Aishbagh) - Mailani - Pilibhit (260 km)
7. Mandhana – Brahmavart (10 km)
8. Mathura Jn. - Vrindavan (12 km)
9. Nepalganj Road - Gonda (114 km)
10. Saharsa - Raghopur (63 km)
11. Shahjahanpur - Pilibhit - Tanakpur (145 km)

• North Western Railway

1. Marwar - Mavli (151 km)
2. Mavli - Bari Sadri (82 km)

• Northeast Frontier Railway

1. Amguri - Tuli (15 km)

• Central Railway

1. Pachora - Jamner (56 km) (NG)
2. Pulgaon - Arvi (35 km) (NG)
3. Achalpur - Yavatmal (186 km) (NG)
4. Balaghat - Jabalpur (187 km) (NG)

• North Central Railway

1. Gwalior - Sheopur Kalan (199 km) (NG)
2. Dhaulpur-Mohari-Sirmuttra (70 km)(NG)
3. Mohari - Tantpur (18 km)(NG)

• Southern Railway

1. Tiruturaipundi - Agastiyampalli (44 KM)(Tamil nadu)

• South East Central Railway

1. Nagpur - Nagbhir (110 km) (NG)
2. Rajim - Abhanpur (17 km) (NG)
3. Raipur - Dhamtari (73 km) (NG)

Remaining

• Eastern

1. Ahmedpur – terminus; break-of-gauge
2. Katwa – break-of-gauge
3. Balgona – terminus; break-of-gauge

• South East Central Railway

1. Raipur – break-of-gauge
2. Rajim – terminus
3. Dhamtari – terminus

• North Central

1. Pulgaon – break-of-gauge
2. Arvi, Wardha – terminus

• Western

1. Surat – large town
2. Bilimora break-of-gauge
3. Waghai – terminus
4. Gandhidam – junction
5. New Bhuj break-of-gauge
6. Naliya – branch terminus (may be closed)
7. Mahesana – break-of-gauge
8. Taranga Hill – branch terminus

• West Central

1. Gwalior – break-of-gauge
2. Sheopur – terminus (with extension to Kota Jn.)

Under Conversion

• Western Railway

1. Bhuj - Naliya (101 km) in Gujarat
2. Mhow - Khandwa - Akola (288 km) in Madhya Pradesh/Maharashtra

• North Western Railway

1. Ratangarh - Sardarshahar (46 km) in Rajasthan
2. Jaipur - Churu (198 km)
3. Gainsari - Jarwa (15 km) in Uttar Pradesh

• Northeast Frontier Railway

1. Baraigram - Dullabcherra (24 km)

• Southern Railway

1. Bodinayakkanur - Madurai (88 km) in Tamil Nadu
2. Pollachi - Podanur (40 km) in Tamil Nadu
3. Sengottai – Punalur (49.2 km) in Tamil Nadu/Kerala
4. Thiruvarur – Karaikudi (148 km) in Tamil Nadu

• South East Central Railway

1. Nagpur - Chhindwara - Nainpur (289 km) (NG)
2. Nainpur - Mandla Fort (42 km) (NG

• North Eastern Railway

1. Thawe - Chhapra (105 km) in UP/Bihar
2. Izzatnagar - Pilibhit (62 km)
3. Narkatiaganj - Bhikhna Thori (36 km)
4. Narkatiaganj - Raxaul (41 KM)
5. Tharbitia - Forbesganj (72 KM)

• Eastern Railway

1. Balgona - Katwa (26 KM) (West Bengal)
2. Ahmedpur - Katwa (53 KM) (West Bengal)
3. Shantipur - Nabadwip (13 KM) (West Bengal)

• South Western Railway

1. Kotturu - Gunda Road (52 KM) (Karnataka)

Completed

2016

1. Badarpur - Agartala (227 km) in Assam/Tripura
2. Silchar - Jiribam (50 km) in Assam/Manipur
3. Katakhal - Bairabi (84 km) in Assam/Mizoram
4. Indore - Mhow (21 km) in Madhya Pradesh
5. Hanumangarh - Sadulpur (172 km) in Rajasthan
6. Banmankhi - Purnia in Bihar (36 km)

2015

1. North Lakhimpur - Murkongselek (154 km) in Assam
2. Balipara - Bhalukpong (34 km) in Assam
3. Lumding - Silchar (210 km) in Assam
4. Pollachi - Palakkad (55 km) in Tamil Nadu/Kerala
5. Sikar - Loharu (122 km) in Rajasthan
6. Gonda - Barhni (107 km) in Uttar Pradesh

2014

1. Raxaul - Chauradano (24 km) in Bihar
2. Palani - Pollachi (63 km) in Tamil Nadu
3. Fatehabad - Indore Junction (35 km) in Madhya Pradesh
4. Ankleshwar - Rajpipla (63 km) in Gujarat
5. Bareilly - Kasganj (106 km) in Uttar Pradesh
6. Rangapara North - Tezpur (27 km) in Assam
7. Dauram Madhepura - Banmankhi (42 km) in Bihar
8. Rangiya - Rangapara North (122 km) in Assam
9. Rangapara North - Harmuti (143 km) in Assam

2013

1. Ratlam – Fatehabad (85.74 km) in Madhya Pradesh
2. Virudhunagar – Manamadurai (66 km) in Tamil Nadu
3. Kolar – Chikbalapur (85 km) in Karnataka

2012

1. Bareilly City - Lalkua in Uttar Pradesh
2. Mayiladuturai – Thiruvarur in Tamil Nadu

2011

1. Krishnanagar – Shantipur in West Bengal
2. Sitamarhi – Bairgania in Bihar
3. Kaptanganj – Thawe in Uttar Pradesh
4. Katihar – Tejnarayanpur in Bihar
5. Mavli – Nathdwara in Rajasthan
6. Anandapuram – Talguppa in Karnataka
7. Dindigul – Palani in Tamil Nadu
8. Tirunelveli – Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu
9. Bodeli - Chottaudepur in Gujarat
10. Bardhman – Balgona in West Bengal
11. Aunrihar – Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh
12. Aluabari Road – Siliguri in West Bengal
13. Ratangarh – Bikaner in Rajasthan
14. Bharuch - Samni - Dahej in Gujarat
15. Parlakimidi - Gunupur in Odisha
16. Mathura - Achhnera in Uttar Pradesh
17. Katihar - Manihari in Bihar
18. Shimoga – Anandapuramin Karnataka
19. Nanjangud – Chamarajanagar in Karnataka
20. Bagalkot – Gadag in Karnataka
21. Mysore – Nanjangud in Karnataka
22. Bijapur – Bagalkot in Karnataka
23. Sakleshpur – Subramanya Rd in Karnataka

2010

1. Kanpur Central - Farukkhabad in Uttar Pradesh
2. Degana – Ratangarh in Rajasthan
3. Ratangarh - Sadulpur in Rajasthan
4. Bhildi - Samdari in Rajasthan
5. Pakala - Dharmavaram in Andhra Pradesh
6. Vellore - Villupuram in Tamil Nadu

2009

1. Phulera – Ringas – Rewari opened for BG on 15.01.2009.
2. Guntakal - Kalluru MG has been converted and shortened from 80 km to 60 km.
3. Mathura – Kasganj

Maps

• Railway Gazette International Supplement December 2007 p7.
• IN Network Map

See also

• Break of gauge
• Gauge conversion
• Broad gauge
• Metre gauge
• Narrow gauge
• Track gauge in India

References

1. compiled and edited by Research, Reference and Training Division. (2011). "Table 19.1". India Yearbook 2011. Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India. ISBN 978-81-230-1674-0.
2. http://www.core.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,294,302,535
3. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rail-link-to-leh-centre-seeks-plan-panel-no/729696/

External links