Railway Minister Announces Record Allocation for Maharashtra: A Boon for Railway Projects

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a massive Rs 15,940 crore allocation for Maharashtra in the Union Budget, marking a significant increase compared to the UPA era. He highlighted the importance of the bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad and announced plans to expand Mumbai's suburban rail services.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Wednesday that Rs 15,940 crore has been allocated to Maharashtra in the Union Budget, a figure 13.5 times higher than the average during the UPA years.

Speaking via video link from Delhi, Vaishnaw credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the substantial increase and described it as 'almost a proper special package.' He cited investments nearing Rs 1,30,000 crore in various railway projects across the state.

Of this, Rs 81,500 crore is allocated for new lines, track doubling, and Gati Shakti work. Highlighting the 508-km-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet project, Vaishnaw emphasized its potential economic impact, noting significant progress including 320 km of completed viaducts.

Vaishnaw also revealed plans to add 250 more services to Mumbai's suburban network over the next five years. This expansion aims to reduce train headway and improve the separation of suburban and long-distance trains.