The Ministry of Railways announced on Wednesday that Indian Railways had already spent 76 per cent of its current fiscal year budget in the first nine months and four days.
The 2024-25 Budget Estimate for Indian Railways' total capital expenditure (Capex) was estimated at Rs 2.65 lakh crore; as of January 5, 2025, the most recent expenditure report shows that Rs 1.92 lakh crore has already been spent.
Significant investments in rolling stock, gauge conversion, electrification, new lines, and other areas were attributed by the ministry to the government's push to modernize the rail network.
➡️ Railways well on course to make itself future ready; Spends 76% of its Budgetary Outlay for the current fiscal in Capacity augmentation aiming to give safer, faster & world class travel to travelers
— PIB India (@PIB_India) January 8, 2025
➡️ Spending in State-of-the-art capacity addition projects in mission mode by…
Top expenses of railway
136 Vande Bharat trains, roughly 97 per cent electrification of broad gauge, new line construction, gauge conversion, track doubling, traffic facilities work, PSU investment, and metropolitan transportation are examples of the results of consistent capital expenditure (Capex) over the past ten years, according to a government statement.
'Indian rail commuters will soon be able to enjoy world-class travel for 'long distance" travel, as the Vande Bharat sleeper trains are currently undergoing speed testing and safety certification,' the statement continued.
Earlier this month, the Vande Bharat sleeper train—which is intended for long-distance travel—went through successful trials, reaching a maximum speed of 180 km/h several times. Before the train is made available to passengers across the country, the trials will last until the end of January.
Vande Bharat (Sleeper) testing at 180 kmph pic.twitter.com/ruVaR3NNOt
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 2, 2025
Test run of Vande Bharat at 180 km/h
Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Railway Minister, recently posted a video of a test run showing the train's stability at a top speed of 180 km/h.
Of the Rs 50,903 crore allocated for rolling stock, Rs 40,367 crore (79 per cent) has already been spent. Of the Rs 34,412 crore allotted, Rs 28,281 crore (82 per cent) has been used for safety-related projects.
According to the government, Indian Railways, which transports an average of 2.3 crore passengers every day, intends to integrate sustainable practices with infrastructure improvements in order to serve the country's enormous geographic and demographic diversity.