The allocation to the Railways sector is expected to remain high in the upcoming Union Budget even amid a pressure to lessen the pace of budgetary capital expenditure on infrastructure, The Financial Express had reported earlier.
In the Interim Budget presented on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had allocated Rs 2,52,200 crore to the railways as gross budgetary support (GBS), along with an additional Rs 10,000 crore from extra-budgetary resources (EBR).
As per a senior official in the Railway Ministry, the allocation is expected to stay at this level or could jump up to Rs 2.6 trillion, FE had reported.
Railway Ministry highlights
The Economic Survey highlighted some of the initiatives taken by the Railway Ministry to enhance its services and operations. With over 68,584 route km (as of March 31, 2024), the Indian Railways is the fourth largest network in the world under single management, the survey said.
Some of the achievements of the Indian Railways include, Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project and Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs).