TS Gets Rs 5,071 Cr for Railway Works, MMTS To Be Expedited After Delay

Hyderabad: The interim Budget 2024-25 allocated Rs 5,071 crore for railway projects in Telangana state, following which railways officials said they would complete the pending MMTS works with the release of funds by the state government.

Following the presentation of the Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, which incorporated the railway Budget, Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw interacted with the press virtually from Delhi and explained the salient features.

Addressing the press later, Arun Kumar Jain, general manager of South Central Railway, said that the delay over MMTS projects — that were scheduled to start operations in January — was due to a lack of funds.

Jain said that if MMTS functioning is normalised, more commuters would opt for it as the fares were lower.

Saying that the current occupancy was at 50 per cent, Jain added: “The pending works are because the state government failed to release their proportions of the Budget. Till now they have released 50 per cent of the budget, which is Rs 379 crore paid so far.”

Jain said, “Charlapally station MMTS will be fully operational by March 31 this year… once the bypass between Sanathnagar and Moula Ali is completed. The movement of the MMTS will be better.”

Questioned about the recent accident at the Nampally railway station on January 10, Jain said: “The inquiry committee will investigate and give a report. Based on the guidelines, railways will take action and rectify if there is any error.”

On-demand for popular routes, Jain said: “There is heavy demand of passenger traffic towards Ayodhya. To ease this pilgrimage, the railway authorities are working out new trains.”

In his address, railway minister Vaishnaw said: “Indian Railways has been allocated Rs 2,52,000 crore for the year 2024-25. The focus is on the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. Efforts are being made to increase the capacity of railways. As part of the same, three major economic railway corridor projects will be implemented and as a result, 40,000 km of tracks will be laid in the next six to eight years.”

Saying that Telangana has sanctioned Rs 5,071 crore, Vaishnaw said there has been a consistent increase in the funds allocated to the state in successive Budgets.

Vaishnaw said that the total investment in Telangana state was Rs 31,221 crore, with 142 km of track being laid across the state every year, as compared to 70 km per year from 2009 to 2014. In the past 10 years, 414 railway overbridges and underbridges had been constructed, he said.

Vaishnaw said that 40 railway stations in Telangana state were being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat station scheme and that 45 ‘One Station One Product’ stalls have been set up to promote local products.