New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) – Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a substantial increase in budgetary allocations for rail infrastructure development across all states for the financial year 2025-26, compared to the 2009-2014 period. Speaking on Monday, Vaishnaw emphasized that the pace of railway development has significantly accelerated under the NDA government over the past decade.
Presenting a state-wise breakdown of allocations, Vaishnaw highlighted a dramatic increase in railway budgets. He noted that Delhi’s allocation has surged 27 times, Madhya Pradesh’s 23 times, and Chhattisgarh’s 22 times compared to pre-2014 levels. Bihar’s annual average budget, which stood at ₹1,132 crore between 2009-2014, has now been raised ninefold to ₹10,066 crore for 2025-26. Similarly, Delhi’s budget has grown from ₹96 crore to ₹2,539 crore.
During an interaction via video conferencing with media personnel and senior railway officials, the minister underscored key advancements in electrification. He stated that Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Delhi have achieved 100% railway electrification, with the entire national rail network expected to be electrified by the end of this financial year.
The expansion of new rail tracks has also witnessed significant progress. Vaishnaw pointed out that 1,832 km of new tracks have been constructed in Bihar since 2014, a length nearly equivalent to Malaysia’s entire rail network.
Turning to metro development, Vaishnaw compared Kolkata’s metro progress before and after 2014. He highlighted that between 1972 and 2014, only 28 km of metro connectivity was provided, whereas since 2014, 31 km has been completed and operationalized.
On rail safety, the minister shared updates on the Kavach Automatic Train Protection system, revealing that tenders for the system have either been awarded or are at an advanced stage across multiple railway zones. He assured that Kavach would be implemented across the entire national railway network within the next six years, with installation already underway on 10,000 locomotives.
Vaishnaw also provided details on station redevelopment projects, the growing number of Vande Bharat trains, and improvements in passenger amenities, including rail flyovers and under-bridges constructed since 2014.
The announcements underscore the government’s commitment to modernizing India’s railway infrastructure, enhancing connectivity, and ensuring safer and more efficient rail travel nationwide.
Last updated by a enewsx: