Revised wildlife plan clears path for Goa rail doubling project

A revised wildlife mitigation plan has been prepared to enable completion of the pending double-tracking work on the Duski-Castlerock-Kulem-Kalem section of the railway line connecting Hospet, Hubballi, Londa, Tinaighat and Vasco da Gama, the Union government said.

The section has been taken up for the necessary clearances to start work, according to the government.

The Hospet-Hubballi-Londa-Tinaighat-Vasco da Gama railway doubling project is being executed over 312 km at a total cost of Rs 4,730 crore. Expenditure on the project stood at Rs 2,785 crore up to March 2026, while an outlay of Rs 434 crore has been provided for 2026-27.

The project is expected to improve mobility and connectivity for both goods and passengers travelling from Goa to other parts of the country. However, progress has been affected by forest and wildlife clearance issues along the 38-km Duski-Castlerock-Kulem-Kalem stretch, reported The Times of India.

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said completion timelines for railway projects depend on several factors, including land acquisition by state governments, forest clearances, shifting of infringing utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities, geological and topographical conditions, and law and order at project sites.

The update came in response to questions raised in the Rajya Sabha by MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade, who sought details about the project’s current status, sanctioned cost, year-wise budget allocations over the past five years, expenditure incurred, physical progress, section-wise completion status and expected completion timeline.

Tanavade also asked whether the government had assessed potential benefits including increased freight capacity, reduced logistics costs, improved passenger movement, highway decongestion, lower carbon emissions and support for port-led economic growth, including benefits for Goa’s mining, tourism and industrial sectors.

Vaishnaw said railway infrastructure projects contribute to socio-economic development by integrating regions with the rest of the country, enabling faster movement of goods and services, improving logistics efficiency, enhancing line capacity, creating direct and indirect employment, reducing operational bottlenecks and supporting tourism and industrial activity.