Budget 2018 for Indian Railways: Capex of 1.48 Lakh Crores, University in Vadodara & More -- Key Highlights
A University for Railways will be set-up in Vadodara to impart training to the workforce who would be deployed for high speed railway projects.
New Delhi, Feb 1: An additional amount of Rs 10,000 crore will be pumped into the Indian Railways this year -- as compared to the previous year's allocation -- taking the total railway capex for FY 2018-19 to Rs 1,48,500 crore. Here are key takeaways from the Union Budget 2018 for the Indian Railways:
- To prevent train derailment incidents, a total of 3,600-km of railway tracks will be renovated.
- Taking note of the fatal accidents caused due to railway crossings, the Finance Minister said over 4,000-plus unmanned crossings will be eliminated within this financial year.
- Over 12,000 wagons, 5160 coaches and 700 locomotives will be procured, Jaitley said, further adding that all stations with footfall of above 25,000 will be provided with escalators.
- WiFis and CCTVs will also be progressively installed at Railway stations, the FM said.
- A total of 600 new Railway stations will be functional this fiscal year, Jaitley added.
- For Mumbai's suburban railway network, Rs 10,000 crore has been allocated for the 90-km additional double rail corridor, and Rs 40,000 crore has allotted for the development of elevated suburban railway corridor.
- A University for Railways will be set-up in Vadodara to impart training to the workforce who would be deployed for high speed railway projects -- the first of its kind being the proposed Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.
Commenting on the Budget, All India Railway Federation (AIRF) chief Shiv Gopal Mishra said the focus on electrification and track maintenance should be lauded. "However, we find the amount allotted (Rs 1,48,500 crore) as inadequate, considering the massive renovation work to be undertaken. Also, the Budget has failed to announce any benefits for the workforce," he said while speaking to Latestly.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 01, 2018 02:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).