The Union Government has proclaimed a huge increment in the funding to railway in Bihar, with the yearly railway budget of the state increasing almost nine times than what was being allocated prior to the year 2014. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made the statement when she was pointing out the extent of the infrastructure growth and modernization that is being done in one of the most populous states in India.
The minister also said that the recent Union Budget has been making more than 10,000 crore investments in the railway projects in Bihar, a significant increase compared with an annual expenditure of slightly over 1100 crore in the period between 2009 and 2014. The targeted increased investment is to enlarge rail connectivity, safety level, and passenger facilities in the vast network of the state.
According to officials, such an increased allocation will aid a broad spectrum of projects in the construction of new railway lines, doubling of tracks, and electrification of the existing routes to enhance operational efficiency and shorten the travel time. Redevelopment of stations is another priority, and some of the biggest and medium-sized stations will be modernized in accordance with national schemes in order to offer improved facilities, accessibility and digital services to passengers.
Pointing out in a very interesting comparison, the minister added that the total mass of new railway lines in Bihar built during the last decade is roughly equal to the proportions of the rail system of Malaysia. Although this was meant to be a statement relating to the magnitude of the expansion and not a technical comparison, it highlights the number of infrastructure projects being done in the state within this time.
The government has also created an insight into the importance of better rail connectivity to help in the economic development of Bihar. The improved freight corridors and improved connections between industrial, agricultural and urban centres will mitigate the cost of logistics and enable the ease of goods movement. This, according to the officials, will be beneficial to local industries, small businesses, and farmers since they will have greater assurance of accessing national markets.
Another significant part of the investment is safety and technological upgrades. The development of the state-of-the-art signalling systems, automatic train protection systems and better track monitoring is to improve the level of operational safety on high-density routes that are used by millions of passengers annually.
The funding impetus will create jobs, both directly, in the course of building work and indirectly in other activities such as hospitality, transportation and services in areas along new and improved rail lines.
The government believes that the railway network in Bihar will undergo a dramatic change with a ninefold rise in budgetary allocation and emphasis on long-term infrastructure planning. The projects and expansion plans are planned to enable close connectivity and enhance the travelling experiences, and to strengthen the role of railways as a major engine of growth and development in the state.
