Union Budget 2018: Key Railway Announcements
Capital expenditure for Indian Railways has been increased to 1.48 lakh crore from 1.31 lakh crore last year
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budget 2018-19 in the Parliament on Thursday, February 1. This was the second year wherein the Railway Budget was included in the General Budget.
Here are the key announcements pertaining to Indian Railways under the Union Budget for 2018-19:
* Rs 1,48,528 crore allocated as capital expenditure for Indian Railways for 2018-19, most of which will be used for capacity expansion.
* Target of 18,000 km of doubling of tracks set for next fiscal in a bid to eliminate capacity constraints.
* Railways to procure 12,000 wagons, 5160 coaches, and 700 locomotives.
* All railways stations with more than 25,000 footfall to have escalators.
* All railways stations and trains to have Wi-Fi and CCTVs progressively.
* Redevelopment of 600 major railway stations has been taken up.
* 4,267 unmanned level crossings to be eliminated in the next two years.
* Mumbai rail network to receive Rs 11,000 crore.
* Bengaluru Metro to get Rs 17,000 crore.
* Railways’ focus will be on safety, maintenance of railway tracks, increase in use of technology and fog safety devices.
* Foundation stone laid for a new institute in Vadodara to train the manpower required for the high-speed railway projects.
