Here are the major highlights of the 2018 Railway Budget:
- The government has allocated the highest ever capital expenditure of Rs 1.48 trillion for the Indian Railways in 2018-19.
- The focus will be on safety, maintenance of railway tracks, increase in use of technology and fog safety devices.
- Rs.4,253 crore has been allocated for Pune-Lonavala 3rd and 4th railway line.
- 4267 unmanned railway crossings will be eliminated in the next two years.
- All trains will increasingly have WiFi and CCTVs. 600 major stations to be redeveloped.
- As many as 12,000 wagons, 5160 coaches and 700 locomotives are being procured.
- The government will set up a specialised railway university in Vadodara. This institute will train the manpower required for the Bullet Train Project.
- Mumbai transport system is being expanded; a suburban network of 160 km is planned for Bengaluru.
- 35,000 km of tracks will be completed under the Bharatmala project. This project will have an outlay of Rs 5.35 lakh crore.
- Optimal electrification of the railway network will be the government’s focus.
The government on Monday presented the Economic Survey 2017-18 in the Parliament, that pinned India’s growth at 7% and 7.5% in the upcoming financial year. For the period between 2014-15 to 2017-18, GDP growth averaged at 7.3% which is the highest among major global economies.
Before the country goes to polls in 2019, this is the last full Budget of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ixigo celebrates the glory of Indian Railways. Check out our video:
