New Delhi, 8 January (H.S.): The Ministry of Railways has spent 76 percent of the budgetary capital expenditure allocated for the current financial year 2024-25 in the first nine months. According to the latest expenditure report of Indian Railways, heavy investment has been made in capacity enhancement till January 5, which aims to make rail travel in India world class.

The Ministry of Railways said in a statement on Wednesday that the total capital expenditure for railways in the Budget Estimates 2024-25 is ₹2,65,200 crore, with gross budgetary support of ₹2,52,200 crore. Out of this, ₹1,92,446 crore has already been spent. The budgetary provision for rolling stock was ₹50,903 crore. Out of this, ₹40,367 crore was spent till January 5, which is 79 percent of the budget allocated for rolling stock. Out of the budgetary allocation of ₹34,412 crore, the amount spent on safety related works is ₹28,281 crore, which is 82 per cent of the allocated amount.

According to the railways, the government has prioritised transforming the Indian Railways into a world-class entity that transports an average of 2.3 crore Indians from one part of the country to another every day at an affordable cost.

The fruits of continuous capital expenditure (capex) over the last decade are visible in the form of 136 Vande Bharat trains, electrification of about 97 per cent of broad gauge, laying of new lines, gauge conversion, doubling of tracks, traffic facility works, investments in PSUs and metropolitan transport. This capital expenditure has enabled billions of Indians to experience fast, safe and world-class travel at a nominal cost.

With the Vande Bharat sleeper trains being in the speed testing and safety certification phase, rail passengers in India are set to experience world-class travel for long distance travel very soon. This will revolutionise the overall travel experience. This transformation of Indian Railways would not have been possible without the farsighted vision of developed India and its prompt execution by Indian Railways by spending on modernization projects in mission mode.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar