Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said new trains and modern coaches will go a long way in serving the middle-class
India’s railways will undergo a massive transformation, with 200 new Vande Bharat trains, 100 Amrit Bharat trains, 50 Namo Bharat rapid rail, and 17,500 general non-AC coaches set to be launched in the next two to three years, according to the ministry, which described the union budget as “amazing” with an allocation of Rs 2.52 lakh crore for the fiscal year (FY) 2025-26.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that new trains and sophisticated coaches will greatly benefit the middle class. “This year’s budget mentions railway infrastructure development projects totaling Rs 4.60 lakh crore. Focusing on safety, the budget includes Rs 1.16 lakh crore for expenditure this year to improve the safety of Indian Railways through various projects,” he stated.
Speaking to the media in Rail Bhawan following the introduction of the budget in Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw stated that it not only seeks to create jobs through investment, but also provides significant relief to the middle class through a lower tax burden.
Railways will raise an additional Rs 3,000 crore from internal funds, he said.
Losses incurred in operating strategic lines will be reimbursed at Rs 2,739.18 crore in the Budget Estimate 2025-26, up from Rs 2,602.81 crore in the previous fiscal year’s revised estimates 2024-25.
This fiscal year, Rs 706 crore is set aside for the debt payment of market borrowings for national infrastructure projects.
With this, Indian Railways’ net revenue expenditure is projected to be Rs 3,02,100 crore in this year’s budget projection, up from Rs 2,79,000 crore in the previous fiscal year’s revised estimate.
The minister also stated that India plans to develop 7,000 kilometers of high-speed rail network capable of reaching 250 kilometers per hour by 2047.
Speaking about sustainability, the minister stated that Indian Railways will be fully electrified by the end of FY 2025-26.
