BENGALURU: Karnataka got a record allocation of Rs 7,561 crore in the Railway budget 2023-2024, its highest-ever capital outlay, announced Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. This forms part of the Rs 9,200 crore earmarked for the South Western Railway (SWR) zone, also its highest ever.
The Pink Book (detailed allocation for railway projects in the country) was tabled in Parliament on Friday. Briefing the media in Karnataka via video conference on Friday evening, Vaishnaw said the average annual outlay between 2009 and 2014 for the State stood at Rs 835 crore. “This year’s budget is a nine-time increase over that,” he said.
An official release said the average annual outlay from 2014 to 2022 stood at Rs 3,424 crore. General Manager, SWR, Sanjeev Kishore told newspersons that the huge outlay included the allocation of Rs 2,423 crore for new lines, Rs 1,529 crore for doubling and Rs 242 crore for road safety works.
The Rs 9,200 crore for SWR, which includes Rs 1,350 crore for the Bengaluru Suburban Railway project, marks a 33.3% increase over the previous year’s allocation of Rs 6,900 crore, which earlier held the record as its highest-ever allocation. “A total of 51 stations in SWR have been taken up under the Amrit Bharat scheme for redevelopment,” he said.
Bengaluru Divisional Railway Manager Shyam Singh told TNIE that 16 of these stations are in Bengaluru Railway Division.
“The shifting of many trains to Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal has decongested KSR considerably and the upcoming two island platforms at Cantonment station will help reduce congestion further. They will facilitate running of more suburban services from Cantonment,” Kishore added.
Bengaluru likely to get Vande Metro
Responding to a query on the Vande Metro services concept, and if Bengaluru would benefit, Kishore said these trains are intended for urban locations which are within 100km of each other. There is no chance that Bengaluru would not be included in it, he said.
He said a feasibility study to consider line doubling between Yelahanka and Devanahalli had been undertaken, following the suggestion by the Railway Minister to run more services along the line to Kempegowda International Airport, during his recent visit. To a query on increasing the speed of Vande Bharat trains between Bengaluru and Chennai, he said an action plan was being formulated to facilitate it.
Allocation for doubling projects
Bengaluru-Cantt Whitefield quadrupling: Rs 250 cr
Baiyappanahalli-Hosur: Rs 100 cr
Gadag-Hotgi: Rs 170 cr
Allocation for new lines
Ginigera-Raichur: Rs 300 cr
Tumakuru-Davangere (via Chitradurga) Rs 420.85 cr
Tumakuru-Rayadurga: Rs 350 cr (state govt to contribute a share)
Highest funds for Karnataka: Pralhad
Union MoS for Parliamentary Affairs, Mines and Coal Pralhad Joshi said Karnataka received the highest amount of funds from the Central government. He told the media that maximum funds have been given for basic amenities, including roads, national highways, and railways — for new lines, track doubling, track electrification and so on.
He said till 2014, double the number of tracks had been electrified in the past eight years in Karnataka. While Rs 5,300 crore has been allocated for the Upper Bhadra Project, he said the government is spending Rs 10 lakh crore on infrastructure, the highest in the world, and will create jobs and boost the economy.