Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been provided record budgetary allocations of Rs 6,331 crore and Rs 2,744 crore, respectively, for rail development projects, from out of a total outlay Rs 12,173 crore for Southern Railway for the financial year 2024-25, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday.
The outlay for both the southern states is seven times the average outlay made during the UPA regime in 2009-2014, he pointed out.
Both Tamil Nadu and Kerala garnered the major share of the total budgetary outlay under BJP rule, Vaishnaw said while announcing the state-wise budgetary allocation for railway projects in Tamil Nadu and Kerala for the coming financial year.
Speaking to reporters in the national capital, he said the allocation for Tamil Nadu is seven times the average outlay of Rs 879 crore provided during the UPA regime.
About 77 railway stations in Tamil Nadu are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. About 654 flyovers/underpassses, 116 foot overbridges were commissioned in the state in the past 10 years while 213 'One Station One Product Stalls' (OSOP) were established at various railway stations across the state, he said, adding that 98 per cent of the rail network in Tamil Nadu has been electrified.
Kerala too received an allocation that is seven times the average outlay of Rs 372 crore in 2009-2014, he said. In Kerala, 92 flyovers/underpassses, 34 foot overbridges, and 48 lifts have been commissioned and 440 OSOP stalls were set up in the past 10 years.
Furthermore, 35 stations are being redeveloped in Kerala under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, Vaishnaw said, and added that speed enhancement works and track renewal works are progressing in Kerala to enable the movement of semi-high speed trains.
Vaishnaw thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the announcement to implement three major economic railway corridors for energy, minerals and cement; port connectivity corridors, and high-traffic density corridors.
