Allocation of ₹13,539 cr for Maharashtra will have good impact: Railways Minister
1 min read . Updated: 04 Feb 2023, 12:55 AM IST
Premium- Ashwini Vaishnaw said the allocation in the 2023-24 Budget for Maharashtra was 11 times the average allocation between 2009 to 2014.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on 3 February said that the record allocation of ₹13,539 crore for Indian Railways in Union Budget 2023-24 in Maharashtra will have a "very good effect".
While addressing a press conference through video link from Delhi, Vaishnaw said the allocation in the 2023-24 Budget for Maharashtra was 11 times the average allocation between 2009 to 2014.
Vaishnaw reiterated the charge that when Uddhav Thackeray was chief minister, the bullet train project did not get any clearances from the state government, adding, the union government was getting good cooperation from the Eknath Shinde-led government.
"The deadline for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project (completion) is August 2026," he added.
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The production of Vande Bharat Express trains has been ramped up and a train is being manufactured in 7 to 9 days, he said. "We will modernize and redevelop 123 stations in Maharashtra. As for CSMT (in Mumbai), by March end tenders will be opened. Primary pre-work has already begun," Vaishnaw said.
Earlier on 1 February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman increased the capital outlay for Railways o the highest-ever ₹2.40 lakh crore. This is the highest-ever outlay, which is almost 9 times the outlay made in the year 2013-14.
Also, under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 1275 railway stations of the country will be redeveloped.
The FM said that construction of the country's first hydrogen train, completely developed in India, will be completed by December 2023. The hydrogen train will be operated in the first phase on heritage lines like Kalka-Shimla etc. Along with this, the bullet train project will be started in Maharashtra.
At present Vande Bharat trains are manufactured at Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Perambur which will be expanded and manufacturing units of Vande Bharat will be commissioned at three other locations namely Sonepat in Haryana, Latur in Maharashtra and Rae Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.
With PTI inputs.
