‘Huge budgetary support will give major boost to devpt of rail services in State’

 

 

 

“Railways in Madhya Pradesh have always played a crucial role in ensuring the smooth movement of trains across the country. In the Union Budget 2026, special emphasis has been placed on the development of rail infrastructure and passenger facilities in the State. Madhya Pradesh has been allocated a substantial railway budget of Rs 15,181 crore, which is 24 per cent higher than the allocation during the tenure of the Congress Government,” said Ashwani Vaishnao, Union Railway Minister while addressing a press conference on Monday. The Union Minister further said that railway infrastructure projects worth Rs 1.18 lakh crore are currently underway in Madhya Pradesh. He added that a significant portion of the East–West Dedicated Freight Corridor Project, connecting West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, will pass through the State, contributing significantly to its overall economic and industrial development.

 

Interacting with the media, West Central Railway (WCR) General Manager Shobhana Bandopadhyay informed that railway infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh falls under the jurisdiction of West Central Railway (WCR), South East Central Railway (SECR), Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR). However, the majority of the rail network in the State is under WCR, which includes the Jabalpur, Bhopal and Kota divisions. She added that zone-wise budget allocations would be finalised soon. The substantial budgetary support is expected to give a major boost to the development of rail services in the State. The WCR General Manager further highlighted that ambitious projects such as the Dedicated Freight Corridor and the proposed fourth railway line between Bina–Itarsi–Bhopal will play a key role in enhancing rail capacity and efficiency. She also informed that proposals for new Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains have already been submitted to the Railway Ministry and are likely to be approved in a phased manner.