Bhubaneswar: The Union government has allocated Rs10,599 crore for the development of Railway infrastructure in the state in the Union Budget for the financial year 2025-26.
This is around a 12.5-fold increase from the Rs. 838 crore allocated during the 2009-2014 period.
Speaking to media persons, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have allocated a record Rs10,599 crore this time as well.
He further added that Odisha has received over Rs. 10,000 crores annually for railway development over the past three years.
The Union Railway Minister noted that the increase in allocation of funds has resulted in the acceleration in the work on various projects being implemented in Odisha and this can be noticed on the ground as well.
“During the last 10 years, 2,046 km of new rail tracks have been constructed in Odisha which is more than Malaysia’s entire railway network in scale,” added Vaishnaw.
Praising the double-engine government, he said that the railways are getting all the cooperation regarding land acquisition, forest approval, etc. required for the implementation of projects due to the double-engine government at the centre and state.
The Railway Minister also stated that the total investment in Railways in Odisha today is Rs 78,000 crore for this cooperation.
He also informed that PM Modi in his third term has approved projects worth Rs 20,000 crore for the development of the Railway sector in Odisha.
The budget includes Rs. 2,379 crore for the development of 59 stations across Odisha, including key hubs like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, and Rourkela.
He said that six Vande Bharat trains are running in Odisha which is connecting the state with West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh. He noted that these trains are getting good response from passengers.
Vaishnaw declared that more trains will be introduced in the coming days as work on the construction of new tracks is going on full throttle. There were very few railway tracks in the past.
The Union Minister also revealed that the entire railway track stretching from Kolkata to Chennai will be converted into a four-lane track in future.
He informed the media persons that approval has been given for up to three-landing of the railway tracks up to Visakhapatnam while work for the laying of more tracks has almost been completed from Kolkata up to Bhadrak.
The Union Minister also informed that the Kavach safety system has been sanctioned for 1,898 km of rail line, with ongoing work and tendering for 645 km.
A total of 1,000 locomotives will be integrated with the system to enhance safety.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his gratitude to PM Modi and Finance Minister Sitharaman for allocating Rs 10,599 crore for the development of railways in Odisha.
“I am expressing thanks to PM Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on behalf of the people of Odisha for allocating funds of Rs 10,599 crore as Railway budget to strengthen the railways infrastructure in Odisha. This will speed up the development of railways, infrastructure etc. This will strengthen the economic condition of the state and help in building a ‘developed Odisha’,” said CM Majhi.