New Delhi, February 1: Union Railways and Electronics and IT Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, called the Union Budget 2025-26 "amazing," highlighting its substantial allocation for Indian Railways. With this increased funding, Vaishnaw assured that the nation will witness faster, safer, and more comfortable rail travel across the country.
The minister shared that, over the next two to three years, India will see the introduction of "200 new Vande Bharat trains, 100 Amrit Bharat trains, 50 Namo Bharat rapid rail services, and 17,500 general non-AC coaches."
He also expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for providing a gross budgetary support of Rs 2,52,000 crore to the Ministry of Railways for the financial year 2025-26, marking the second consecutive year of such substantial allocation.
“These new trains and modern coaches will make a significant impact, particularly for the middle and low-income people of India,” Vaishnaw added.
The Union Budget 2025-26 also earmarks Rs 4,60,000 crore for infrastructure development in the rail sector. A significant portion of this budget, Rs 1,16,000 crore, will be dedicated to enhancing the safety of the Indian Railways through various initiatives.
Speaking to the media after the Budget presentation in Lok Sabha, the minister highlighted that the budget not only aims to create employment through investments but also provides relief to the middle class by reducing the income tax burden.
The Budget Estimates for 2025-26 include a reimbursement of Rs 2,739.18 crore for the operation of strategic lines, compared to Rs 2,602.81 crore in the previous fiscal year’s revised estimates.
Additionally, Rs 706 crore has been allocated in the current fiscal year for debt servicing on market borrowings for national projects.
Indian Railways' net revenue expenditure has been set at Rs 3,02,100 crore in this year’s Budget, up from Rs 2,79,000 crore in the Revised Estimates of the previous fiscal.
In comparison to 2013-14, when the gross budgetary support for Indian Railways was a mere Rs 28,174 crore, the 2025-26 allocation is almost nine times greater.
Looking ahead, Indian Railways is on track to become the second-highest freight-carrying railway in the world, aiming to transport 1.6 billion tonnes of cargo by the end of this fiscal year.
Regarding high-speed rail, India plans to build a 7,000 km network capable of supporting trains running at speeds of up to 250 km/h by 2047.
