Union Government Allocates Rs 10,376 Crore for Northeastern Railway Development

The Union government has earmarked Rs 10,376 crore for the railways in the northeast region. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced plans to revamp 60 stations. Additional allocations were made for Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, as India's railways undergo significant modernization.

In a significant boost to the northeastern region, the Union government has allocated Rs 10,376 crore for railway development, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced during a press conference in Delhi on Wednesday. Vaishnaw disclosed the ministry's plan to revamp 60 railway stations into Amrit Stations.

'For the entire northeastern region this year, an allocation of Rs 10,376 crore has been made. As you are aware, 60 stations are being redeveloped in the northeastern region with the aim to make them Amrit Stations,' said Vaishnaw. He also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the overall railway budget allocation of Rs 2,62,200 crore.

Vaishnaw highlighted that Rs 3,694 crore has been allocated for ongoing railway projects in Jammu and Kashmir, including work on Badgam, Jammu Tawi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, and Udhampur stations. In Uttarakhand, Rs 5,131 crore has been dedicated to projects like the Karnaprayag tunnel. Maharashtra sees redevelopment of 128 stations, and Madhya Pradesh has an allocation of Rs 14,738 crore for ongoing projects.

The Railway Minister emphasized that the sector has transformed significantly over the past decade, with 96 percent network electrification and 31,000 km of new tracks laid. Finance Minister Sitharaman presented the 2024-25 Union Budget, including a record Capex of Rs 2,62,200 crore for railways. The pace of track laying increased substantially, from 4 km per day in 2014-15 to 14.54 km per day in 2023-24. IR electrified 41,655 Route Kms in the past decade.