New Delhi: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman expanded the railway allocation by 5 per cent to Rs 2.6 lakh crore in the interim Budget in February 2024. Overall allocation to the Railways has risen 10 times under the Modi government and another Rs 12 lakh crore investment is required for the Indian Railways to meet the economy’s demands by 2030, said Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Indian Railways’ plans
The Indian Railways plans to step uo connectivity and customer redress by launching a super app to address all customer-facing concerns. Modi government 3.0’s plans for the Indian Railways include:
PM Rail Yatri Bima Yojana
Vande Bharat Metro trains
Vande Bharat chair cars
Vande Bharat sleeper trains
Ahmedabad -Mumbai bullet train
Modernisation of 1,300 railway stations
Three railway economic corridors
Keep the #RailMadad App at your fingertips for resolution of your Rail-related grievances while on the move. pic.twitter.com/n2MM02mZxN
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) July 2, 2024
Will senior citizens receive discounts on railway ticket fare?
Railways passengers are seeking a return of senior citizens’ discounts from the Indian Railways in Budget 2024. The Indian Railways discontinued discounts for senior citizens in March 2020. Earlier, women aged 60 years and above were offered a 50 per cent discount on railway ticket fares, while male senior citizens were offered a 40 per cent discount.
New upcoming trains
The Indian Railways is expected to announce a spate of new trains under the following categories:
Vande Bharat Express
Sleeper Vande Bharat Express
Vande Sadharan Express
Vande Bharat Metro trains
Amrit Bharat Express
Railways infrastructure modernisation
The Indian Railways, which operates multiple superfast trains, is expected to spend significantly on the modernisation of infrastructure including train tracks to facilitate train travel at faster speeds. The Vande Bharat Express train’s speed has been reduced to 76.25 kmph in the aftermath of the Kanchanjunga Express crash. Therefore, it is important to upgrade train tracks.
Railway Budget 2024 Expectations: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s 7th straight Budget is likely to witness a major focus on the Indian Railways. From new routes to new trains, know what is likely to change in Railway Budget 2024. Biz News Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
