The Indian Railways has a total of 47,336 hectare vacant land and 942 hectare under encroachment out of a total area of 4,57,689 hectare, Lok Sabha was informed today.
Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said the vacant land is mostly in the form of narrow strips along tracks, which is required for servicing and maintenance of track and other infrastructure.
The vacant land is also utilised for execution of various infrastructural projects for meeting future growth need of Railways and include projects like doubling, traffic facilities, rail coach and component factories.
"The vacant land, which is not required by Railways for its immediate operational needs, is utilised for commercial development, wherever feasible, in order to mobilise additional financial resources through Rail Land Development Authority," he said during Question Hour.
Gowda said encroachments cause bottlenecks and safety hazards in train operations and difficulties in track maintenance which at times affects the line capacity and the throughput.
"Regular measures are taken to protect railway land from encroachment which include licensing of land to Railway employees for grow more food scheme etc., provision of boundary wall, tree plantation at vulnerable locations," he said.
