Union Budget: Andhra gets record Rs 9,417 crore allocation to boost railway Infra

Amaravati: Centre has allocated Rs 9,417 crore for railway projects in Andhra Pradesh.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget in Lok Sabha on February 1.

Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the allocations for every state in a media briefing.

Indian Railways has been allocated ₹2,65,200 crore for the year 2025-26, with a special focus on making Railways world-class, he said.

A significant budget outlay of ₹ 2,52,200 crore has been allocated for the Railways for FY 2025-26, accelerating growth and efficiency.

A total Capex of ₹ 2,65,200 crore has been allocated in FY 2025-26 as compared to ₹ 45,900 crore in FY 2009-14. Safety-related works for Railways will be magnified with a budget allocation of ₹ 1,16,514 crore in FY 2025-26.

Andhra Pradesh has been allocated a record Rs. 9,417 crores for 2025-26. Railways Minister stated that the annual average budget outlay for combined Andhra Pradesh during 2009-14 was only Rs. 886 crores.

“The Budget allocation to Andhra Pradesh has witnessed 11 times increase as compared to the average allocation done during 2009-14 for the combined state,” he said

The Minister stated that an amount of Rs. 84,559 is being invested for various Rail development projects in Andhra Pradesh.

"SCR is in the process of installing Kavach, with 1,465 km commissioned across its jurisdiction. We have targeted to deploy Kavach throughout the entire Rail network of the Country in the next 6 years, he added

He said that 1,560 Kms of new Railway track has been constructed in AP state in the last 10 years which is more than the entire Rail network of Sri Lanka," he added.

For Odisha, Rs 10599 crores has been allocated in 2025-26. The average investment during 2009-14 was Rs 838 crore, about 12.5 times more than the average investment of 2009-14.

"The considerable increase in funding is aimed at accelerating various developmental projects, including the construction of new tracks and the electrification of railway lines. Between 2009 and 2014, an average of 53 kilometers of new tracks were laid each year. This figure has increased by 3.5 times, with an average of 186 kilometers of new tracks being laid annually from 2014 to 2025. Additionally, the electrification of railway lines has seen about fivefold increase, from 29 kilometers per year during 2009-14 to 138 kilometers per year between 2014 and 2025. Odisha has achieved 100% electrification, showcasing the success of these initiatives," said the Minister.

Currently, there are 48 ongoing projects in Odisha focused on laying new tracks, doubling, and multiple lines covering a total of 4,784 kilometers with an estimated cost of Rs 73,723 crores. These projects are crucial for improving connectivity and enhancing the efficiency of the state's railway network.

A key aspect of the development plan is the transformation of 59 stations in Odisha into Amrit stations. This initiative aims to modernize and upgrade the facilities at these stations, providing passengers with an improved travel experience.

Furthermore, since 2014, Indian Railways has constructed 522 rail flyovers and under-bridges, which are essential for enhancing safety, reducing congestion, and improving travel times for passengers.

In Rayagada, 2046 km of new railway tracks were constructed in Odisha since 2014 which is more than the entire rail network in Malaysia.

1516 km of track electrified in Odisha since 2014.

One Vande Bharat train was introduced between Visakhapatnam- Durg via Rayagada.

New Rayagada Division commissioned.

Telangana allocated Rs 5,337 crore in railway budget

Telangana has been granted Rs 5,337 crore for different railway projects. This is an increase of Rs 1 crore above the allocation last year and moreover no new project was announced this year in the budget.

The Union Railway Minister said that the funding for Telangana was "a record high, aimed at enhancing rail infrastructure." Vaishnaw, who announced the completion of the state's railway network electrification, contrasted the current budget to the average annual investment of Rs 886 crore for undivided AP from 2009 to 2014. He stated that financing has steadily increased over time.

Vaishnaw revealed that Telangana will receive Rs 41,677 crore in rail infrastructure investments, including new railway lines, station renovations, the Kazipet coach factory, and new workshops.

Elaborating further, he said that Telangana had been in the forefront of the installation of Kavach, an indigenously developed train anti-collision system, with Secunderabad serving as the center of expertise.

''Currently, 1,465 km of track in the SCR jurisdiction is equipped with Kavach, and trials for the current version 4.0 are underway," the Minister said, and assured that nationwide deployment of Kavach technology will be completed within six years.

Observing that the state's railway network is now "100 percent electrified, he said that five Vande Bharat trains are operating in Telangana, traversing seven districts and making nine stops. Apart from that the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme has been used to rebuild 40 railway stations, he added.