Union Budget 2024 allocates Rs. 18,592 crore for bullet train project; Rs. 8,587 crore to Western Railways

Mumbai: The interim budget, presented on Thursday, allocated Rs 8,587 crore for railway projects on the Western Railway network in Gujarat. This amount is 14 times the average annual outlay of Rs 580 crore recorded between 2009 and 2014, as stated by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

According to an official press release, a total investment of Rs 30,789 crore is underway in Gujarat, where 97% of the railway route has been electrified, and a total of 856 road overbridges and road underbridges have been built over the past decade.

It is also reported that Rs 2,662 crore will be designated for enhancing the speed to 160kmph/200 kmph on the existing New Delhi-Mumbai route, aiming to achieve a 12-hour travel time between the two major cities.

The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has been allocated Rs 25,000 crore in the interim budget for executing the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. This amount represents an increase from the previous fiscal year, which was Rs 18,592 crore.

The Budget includes provisions for the development of a fourth line connecting Sabarmati and Vatva stations in Ahmedabad, along with the initiative for track doubling on the Mehsana-Palanpur section.

The budget also greenlit projects for the quadrupling of lines, including Samakhiali-Gandhidham, Dahod-Indore, Chhota Udepur-Dhar, and Bhimnath-Dholera. Additionally, it encompasses gauge conversion and electrification projects for stretches like Bhuj-Naliya, Modasa-Shamlaji, Ahmedabad-Himmatnagar-Udaipur, Kalol-Kotasan Road, and Karjan-Samalaya.

Gauge conversion is slated for Nadiad-Petlad, Petlad-Bhadran, Himmatnagar-Khedbrahma, Adraj Moti-Vijapur, Vijapur-Ambliyasan, Bhildi-Viramgam, Shapur-Saradiya, and Somnath-Kodinar stretches. The budget papers also list Ahmedabad-Mehsana, Khijadiya-Amreli, Karjan-Malsar, Jambusar-Kavi, and Kosamba-Umarpada stretches for gauge conversion.

Track doubling and electrification initiatives are planned for the Rajkot-Kanalus, Anand-Godhra, Surendranagar-Rajkot, Mehsana-Palanpur, Viramgam-Samakhiali, and Udhna-Jalgaon stretches. A fourth line is set to be added between Geratpur and Sanand, with an additional track to be laid at Somnath.

The budget also allocates resources to enhance speeds to between 160 kmph and 200 kmph on the New Delhi-Mumbai route, including the Vadodara-Ahmedabad stretch, aiming to achieve a travel time of 12 hours between Delhi and Mumbai.

DeshGujarat