U’khand hs received Rs 4,769 crore allocation in Railway Budget: Vaishnaw

my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 2 Feb: Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw today addressed journalists from Uttarakhand and other states through a virtual press conference organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Dehradun, to outline key provisions of the Railway Budget. During the interaction, the Railway Minister expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that the Railways have received a record capital expenditure allocation of Rs 2.93 lakh crores in the current Budget. He also thanked the Union Finance Minister for this historic allocation and said that Uttarakhand would be among the major beneficiaries.
Vaishnaw reminded that between 2009 and 2014, Uttarakhand had received only Rs 187 crores for railway works. In sharp contrast, the Railway Budget for 2026–27 has earmarked a record Rs 4,769 crores for Uttarakhand, reflecting a 26-fold increase in allocation since 2014. He said this unprecedented support underlines the Centre’s commitment to strengthening railway infrastructure in the hill state.
He informed that railway projects worth Rs 39,491 crores are currently underway in Uttarakhand. These include construction of new tracks, redevelopment of stations and major safety enhancements. Under the Amrit Station Scheme, 11 stations in the state have been selected for complete redevelopment, with a total investment of Rs 147 crores being made towards their modernisation.
Highlighting improvements in connectivity and passenger services, the Railway Minister said that premium train services have been expanded in the state, with three Vande Bharat Express trains currently operating and one Amrit Bharat Express service already running.
Vaishnaw said that Uttarakhand has witnessed rapid growth in railway network expansion and has achieved 100 per cent electrification. Since 2014, around 76 km of new railway track has been constructed in the state, while 334 km of railway lines have been electrified. During this period, 106 flyovers and underpasses have also been built to enhance safety and ease of movement. Keeping railway safety as a priority, a total of 54 Kavach systems have already been sanctioned for the state.
He further said that work on the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag rail project is progressing at a fast pace and the project is steadily moving towards completion and inauguration, adding that this is expected to significantly improve connectivity in the hill region and boost economic and social development in Uttarakhand.