Latest news with #RailwayBudget
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
State, Centre agree to bring Sabari rail project on track
After a protracted delay, the State and the Centre have decided to implement the Sabari rail project, a project that was conceived with a view of bringing the Sabarimala temple on the country's rail map. The decision was taken at a meeting of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi on Tuesday. It was decided at the meeting that an expert committee will visit Kerala in July to bring the project back on track and to kick-start the land acquisition process, said V. Abdurahiman, State Minister in charge of Railways, who accompanied the Chief Minister along with K.V. Thomas, State's special representative in New Delhi. But it is not clear how the issues related to cost-sharing of the project, which was a bone of contention between the State and the Centre, will be sorted out. The Centre had earlier insisted that Kerala should shoulder 50% of the revised estimate of ₹3,810.69 crore. In turn, Kerala had requested that the liability incurred for financing the project through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) should be fully exempted from the State's borrowing limit. The Centre then suggested a tripartite agreement to implement the project, involving the State government, Ministry of Railways, and the Reserve Bank of India. As part of the agreement, the RBI will pay the State's share to the Ministry if Kerala fails to pay its share of the project cost on time and deduct the amount from the Central share of assistance to Kerala for various schemes. However, the State had been insisting on KIIFB financing for the project. The 110-km Angamaly-Erumeli route was first announced in the Railway Budget 1997-98. Land acquisition had been completed in 8 km, while the work on the 7-km stretch between Angamaly and Kalady was completed earlier. Recently, the Southern Railway had said only ₹20 crore could be diverted of the ₹142.70 crore sanctioned for the Sabari rail project in the last Budget for stalled projects, indicating the revival of the project. The State has also sought approval for the SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project . Though the Union Minister did not give any assurance at the meeting, he said the alternative proposal submitted by technocrat E. Sreedharan could be considered. The Centre is likely to convey its stance on the project to the State after a meeting with Mr. Sreedharan. The State also reiterated its demand for a third and fourth line to decongest the existing network and speed up trains. The meeting also brought the issue of poor-quality food on the Vande Bharat train in Kerala to the attention of the Union Minister.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
First train on Gadag-Wadi railway line runs today
1 2 3 Kushtagi (Koppal): The historic Gadag-Wadi railway line , extending 257km with a budget of Rs 2,841.8 crore, will begin operations on Thursday, fulfilling a long-awaited the total length, 56.1km was completed, while 201km remains pending. V Somanna, minister of state for railways, will launch the first passenger train service from Hubballi to Kushtagi at Kushtagi of March 31, 2025, the Karnataka govt contributed Rs 489.9 crores to the project. The Gadag-Wadi project represents a crucial railway infrastructure development to improve connectivity in North in 1911The project's origins trace back to 1911, when the Nizam of Hyderabad and the British Indian govt showed interest. The initial cost was Rs 1.86 crore. Former MP Basavaraj Rayareddy facilitated the project's revival in 1996 after numerous delays. A 1998 survey estimated costs at Rs 457.7 crore and a subsequent survey in 2009 led to the project's inclusion in the 2013-14 Railway Budget, receiving parliamentary Kanamadi, the public relations officer for South Western Railway, said the project is being executed in phases, including the 22km stretch from Talkal to Sangnal, 13km from Sangnal to Hanumapur, 10.7km from Hanumapur to Linganbandi and 10.1km from Linganbandi to Kushtagi, with a total of 56.1km already commissioning of the completed 56.1km length involves some political dynamics. Basavaraj Rayareddy, the MLA from Yalburga and economic advisor to the chief minister, reached out to railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, delivering a letter from CM Siddaramaiah, to promote the Gadag-Wadi passenger train service originating from his constituency."I am happy to announce that the 60-km route from Gadag-Talkal-Kustagi and the 45-km route from Wadi to Shahapur are now ready for service. In light of the significant backing from the state govt, I propose that the inauguration be held in Yelburga," Siddaramaiah wrote in a letter dated March Kyavater, a member of the BJP state executive and closely connected to Somanna, organised the event in Kushtagi. This left Rayareddy disheartened, leading him to refrain from making statements or claiming credit for the completed railway told TOI that while the daily timetable for the Kushtagi-Hubballi train is yet to be finalised, it is anticipated to be ready within two days, with one passenger train scheduled to run daily during the initial phase.
News18
22-04-2025
- Business
- News18
Amrit Bharat 2.0, Vande Metro Coming To Bihar This Month In Transport Boost For Poll-Bound State
Last Updated: The economical non-AC Amrit Bharat 2.0 will connect the state with Mumbai, while the fully AC Vande Metro will connect the capital city with Jaynagar Months ahead of assembly polls, Bihar is set to receive a transport boost with the first Amrit Bharat 2.0 train and India's second Vande Metro train launching this month for the state. The economical non-AC Amrit Bharat 2.0 will connect the state with Mumbai, while the fully AC Vande Metro will connect the capital city with Jaynagar. The Amrit Bharat 2.0 train is an upgraded version of the already functional Amrit Bharat. It will operate between Saharsa and Mumbai. The poll-bound state had also received the first version of the Amrit Bharat train when it was launched in 2024. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Amrit Bharat train between Saharsa and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai) along with the Vande Metro, officially called the Namo Bharat train, between Jaynagar and Patna. Amrit Bharat 2.0 In January 2024, the Indian Railways launched two Amrit Bharat trains, including the Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal train. Another train operates between Malda Town and Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (Bengaluru). So, the Saharsa-Mumbai Amrit Bharat will be the second train for Bihar from the newest series of trains. In January, News18 visited the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, where one coach each of the sleeper and general class of Amrit Bharat 2.0 was kept ready for Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to inspect. The Amrit Bharat train was upgraded with enhanced features for making it more modern, comfortable, and high-tech. In the Railway Budget for FY 2025–26, a plan to introduce 100 new Amrit Bharat trains was announced. Vande Metro After Ahmedabad-Bhuj, the Jaynagar-Patna Vande Metro will be the second Namo Bharat rapid rail service in the country. These trains operate at a speed of 110 km/h, reducing the travel time by half. Speaking to News18, a Railways ministry official said with the launch of this train, common passengers of north Bihar will get a fast, safe, and modern travel experience. 'Namo Bharat connects north Bihar directly to Patna, ensuring better access to education, healthcare, justice, and administrative services. With improved connectivity, local handicrafts, agricultural products, and small entrepreneurs will gain access to larger markets," they said. Both these trains are among the latest trains launched by the Indian Railways and are set to transform the way the state travels. The term of the current Bihar assembly is ending in November 2025 and elections are scheduled to be held around the year-end. First Published:
