Guwahati: Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, informed on Monday that the Indian Railways has allocated a total outlay of over Rs. 2.65 lakh crore for the second consecutive year in the union budget.
In an interaction with media persons from Northeast, the Railway Minister said that Indian Railways is set to expand at an accelerated pace, offering faster, safer, and more comfortable rail travel across the country.
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The Minister shared that in the coming years, 200 new Vande Bharat trains, 100 Amrit Bharat trains, and 50 Namo Bharat rapid rails will be introduced.
These new trains and modern coaches are expected to significantly benefit lower- and middle-income communities. To further enhance safety, 1,000 new flyovers and underpasses will be constructed, he added.
During the session, the Minister also noted the progress of ongoing railway projects in the Northeastern region, stating that despite the challenging geographical conditions the work is progressing well.
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Efforts are being made to ensure these projects are completed on a 24×7 basis for faster implementation.
A total of 1,824 kilometers of new tracks have been laid in Assam and the Northeast since 2014, surpassing the entire rail network of Sri Lanka. While, 478 new flyovers and underpasses have been built in the region since 2014.
The Minister mentioned that 1,189 route kilometers have been identified for the implementation of the Kavach safety system across North Frontier Railway (NFR).
Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, General Manager of NFR, Arun Kumar Choudhary, General Manager of NFR (Construction), and other senior railway officials from Headquarters were also present during the interaction session.
Speaking to media, both General Managers, disclosed that 92 stations under NFR will be revamped as part of the Amrit Bharat Stations Scheme.
Furthermore, all railway tracks under the jurisdiction of NFR will be electrified by December 2025.
The Bhairabi–Sairang project in Mizoram is also expected to be completed by July this year, said the General Managers.
The budget for railway infrastructure projects in the Northeast for FY 2025-26 has been set at Rs. 10,440 crores, more than five times the average allocation of Rs. 2,122 crores during the 2009-2014 period.