The Centre today said a total of 56,248 route kilometres of Indian Railways Broad Gauge network had been completed by railway electrification till last month. In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, railway electrification projects are not confined within the State boundaries. He said, 179 projects of electrification for around 47 thousand crores rupees are in progress. Expenditure of over 30 thousand crore rupees has been incurred till March last year, he added.<br />''     <br />''Mr. Vaishnaw stated that to expedite railway electrification work, various steps have been taken by Indian Railways which include among others creation of ''Gati Shakti Directorate'' in Railway Board for smooth and speedy approval of projects at Railway Board level and ensuring effective project monitoring mechanism.<br />''<br />''<br />''<br />