The railway network in India is largely influenced by the nature of the terrain, population density and economic structure of the region. Ganga plain with level topography, gentle slope, high agricultural productivity and heavy density of population have attracted higher concentration of railway network.
So much so that about half of the railway route length is found in this region. The rich coal, iron ore and other mineral deposits of the Chotanagpur region created high demand for rail network over peneplained plateau surface.
The cotton growing tract of the Deccan Peninsula with fairly high population density and the pull factor of the industrial cum port city of Mumbai favoured rail construction despite physical constraints arising out of the Western Ghats. Here railway routes run zig-zag to avoid steep slopes or pass through mountain passes (Thai Ghat and Bhorghat) or tunnels. Besides some rail lines have also been constructed for defense considerations, for administrative point of view and for promoting tourism. But the hilly areas of the north, north-east and Western Ghats together with desert tracts of
Source : Statistical Abstract, India 1998 (1) High Density (> 25 km/1,000 sq km area) This category includes Delhi, Punjab, West Bengal, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. In certain areas the level of density is higher than 40 km. These high density areas are spread over (i) the crescent belt centered at Haora and extending inward up to Gomoh-Muri-Chandil-Kharagpur, (ii)
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North Bihar Plain north of Sonpur-Katihar, (iii) Upper Ganga-Yamuna Doab between Kanpur-Delhi, (iv) Gujarat Plain, and (v) Tamil Nadu coast. The Northern Great Plain due to its high population density, high agricultural productivity, level topography, and proximity of mineral rich areas, junction point to hilly northern areas and southern Plateaus, and high economic development has attracted largest concentration of railway network in the country.
(2) Medium Density (15-25 km/1,000 sq. km area)
This covers the western part of the Peninsula incorporating the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan. Here plateau topography (sandy desert in Rajasthan). Medium to low population density and medium agricultural productivity are the causing factor for rail network. Here Kerala and Goa are the only areas whose rail density is higher than the national average (18.63 km/1,000 sq. km. of area).
(3) Low Density (5-15 km/1,000 sq. km area)
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This density category includes eastern part of the Peninsular India covering the states of Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. Here undulating topography, low population density and poor economic development have led to low density of rail-net. The region is traversed by the Haora-Nagpur-Mumbai trunk route. But there are few branch lines emerging from the trunk route to run north or southwards.
(4) Very Low Density (< 5 km/1,000 sq. km area)
This category spreads over the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal,
Nagaland and Tripura where hilly terrain is the main restrictive factor in the expansion of railway network. The states of Sikkim. Arunachal Pradesh. Meghalaya and union territories of Andaman-Nicobar islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu are devoid of rail-line. The recently constructed Konkan railway has filled up one such negative area along the Western Coast to pave the way for new economic development. Besides the hilly region of the north, the Rajasthan desert (west of the Aravallis and west of Jodhpur), forested and hilly tracts of the north-east and the tribal areas of the Central India are other such negative/low density areas which require railway corridor for their socio-economic transformation.