Odisha gets Rs 10,586 cr for railway sector in Budget

The Union Budget has allocated Rs 10,586 crore for the development of railway sector in Odisha for the 2024-25 financial year, an official release said.

Between 2009 and 2014, when the UPA was in power at the Centre, the state received Rs 838 crore on average each year for the sector, according to the Railways.

“A remarkable outlay of Rs 10,586 crore has been allocated to Odisha in FY 2024-25 Budget. This will transform rail network into world-class standards and enhance the passenger experience akin to flying,” Divisional Railway Manager of Khurda Road said in an X post.

Currently, 40 rail projects are under implementation in the state and the Centre will spend Rs 54,054 crore on them, he said.

Meanwhile, the Railways have achieved 100 per cent route electrification in the state and as many as 59 railway stations are being redeveloped as Amrit Bharat Station Scheme aims at modernising railway stations.

The official datasheet released by the East Coast Railways said that an average of 53 km of new rail tracks were laid in the state during the UPA period from 2009 to 2014 while at least 183 kilometres of new tracks were drawn in a year during the NDA period.

As many as 427 flyovers and underpasses have been constructed in the state since 2014, the railway official said.