NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union budget in the parliament today. It included allocations for all major sectors of our economy. The government has allocated Rs 11.11 lakh crores in FY25 for infrastructure development in the country.
Boost to Railways
The railway has received a significant boost towards its goal of decongesting lines and introducing new lines and locomotives. The budget has been allocated under the following two heads:
- 3 Rail Connectivity Corridors – Corridors for Port, Corridors for Energy, Cement and Mineral; High-Traffic Density Corridor
- Vande Bharat Makeover for 40,000 Rail Bogies
A rail corridor facilitating corridor-port connectivity under the DFC will be established. More than two corridors will be set up under this to facilitate growth and development for business in India by providing an efficient and dedicated corridor.
Three dedicated corridors for easy and efficient transportation of Energy, Cement and Minerals will be established. It will facilitate a seamless flow of goods nationwide, encouraging our economic prowess. These corridors will be in addition to the DFCs. The Third and most crucial corridor is the high-traffic-density corridor. In this, routes having high-density passenger traffic will be given priority Such routes will be made into a dedicated corridor.
In a significant push, 40,000 normal bogies will be converted into Vande Bharat trains. This will ensure safety and efficiency for the commuters on the route.
Smt Nirmala Sitharam said, “The resultant decongestion of the high-traffic corridors will also help improve the operations of passenger trains, resulting in safer and higher travel speeds for passengers. Together with dedicated freight corridors, these three economic corridor programmes will accelerate our GDP growth and reduce logistic costs.”
Boost to Urban Transport
Per the announcements, the flagship Namo Bharat trains will be expanded to more cities to ensure better solutions to mobility problems in the continuously expanding Urban Centres.
Smt Nirmala Sitharam said, “We have a fast-expanding middle class and rapid urbanisation is taking place. Metro Rail and NaMo Bharat can be the catalyst for the required urban transformation. Expansion of these systems will be supported in large cities focusing on transit-oriented development.”
Further
The announcements offer an exciting picture of rail mobility taking shape in India rapidly, with a handsome investment of Rs 11.11 lakh crores through infrastructure.
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