Budget 2024: Andhra gets one of biggest railway pie; Centre allocates Rs. 9,138 crore

Visakhapatnam: Indian Railways has been allocated Rs. 2,52,000 crore for the year 2024-25 in the interim budget, which was on February 1.

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communication and Electronic & Information Technology held a virtual press conference today highlighting the allocations about Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States.

Ashwini Vaishnaw informed that the focus is on the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. He stated that efforts are being made to increase the capacity of Railways. As part of the same, 3 Major Economic Railway Corridors projects will be implemented and as a result, 40,000 Km of tracks will be laid in the next 6-8 years.

Highlights of the Railway Budget of Andhra Pradesh State:

The total budgetary allocation for Railways in Andhra Pradesh is a staggering amount of Rs. 9,138 crores for the year 2024-25. He stated that the combined budget allocation for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States between the years 2009-14 was only Rs. 886 crores on average. The Budget allocations to Andhra Pradesh have been witnessing sustained increases with the current year’s allocation being almost ten times the average allocation done during 2009-14, he said.

Further, the Union Minister stated that the total investment for the development of Railways in Andhra Pradesh is Rs. 68,059 crores. He informed that 97% of electrification has been completed in the state. He stated that 246 Km of Rail track is being laid in the region every year as compared to just 70 Km per year during 2009-14. To facilitate the commuters, 709 RoBs & RuBs have been constructed, he stated. The Hon’ble Minister informed that over 109 One Station One Product stalls have been set up at Railway stations across the state. He recalled the beautiful toys of Etikoppaka at Visakhapatnam railway station which was set up under the One Station One Product Scheme. Around 72 Railway stations in AP state are being upgraded as part of the Amrit Bharat station scheme, he added.

Highlights of Railway Budget about Odisha:

The allocation of Rs 10,536 cr for the State of Odisha. He stated that for the last three years, Odisha has been getting Rs 10,000 cr on average per year for various Railway projects. He also mentioned that the funds worth about Rs 52,000 crore will be invested in new railway projects in Odisha shortly. He also asserted that 100 percent electrification of the railways has been achieved in Odisha. As for the railway safety, he said, “More allocation has been made for the safety aspect this time. With the execution of new tracks, the need for safety factors will increase.”

Further, 58 Railway stations across Odisha are in the process of development under the Amrit Bharat station scheme. 42 One Station One Product stalls are operational at Railway stations in Odisha for the sale of local Handicrafts, Handloom, and other local Products. Moreover, 100% of Railway Electrification is already been completed in Odisha.

Other Highlights of the Budget on Railways:

Three major economic railway corridor programs will be implemented.

(1) Energy, mineral and cement corridors,

(2) Port connectivity corridors, and

(3) High traffic density corridors.

The projects have been identified under the PM Gati Shakti for enabling multi-modal connectivity. They will improve logistics efficiency and reduce costs.

The resultant decongestion of the high-traffic corridors will also help in improving the operations of passenger trains, resulting in safety and higher travel speed for passengers. Together with dedicated freight corridors, these three economic corridor programs will accelerate our GDP growth and reduce logistic costs. Forty thousand normal rail bogies will be converted to the Vande Bharat standards to enhance the safety, convenience, and comfort of passengers