Budget 2023: Govt Allots Rs 2.4 Lakh Crore for Indian Railways, Highest-Ever Since 2013-14

Budget 2023: Government has allotted Rs 2.4 lakh crore for the Indian Railways in the recently presented Budget 2023-24. "Capital outlay of Rs 2.4 lakh crore provided for Railways is the highest-ever allocation since 2013-14," said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The Union Budget, also comprising the Railway Budget, has been presented on the floor of the Parliament on February 1.

Ahead of the Budget, passengers shared their expectation from the Union Budget 2023. "The Railways should see that train fares do not go up. Also, the fare increases over the last few years should be controlled. While the rate of platform tickets has been reduced from Rs 50 to Rs 10, we want it to be reduced further," said MD Sanjay, a passenger at Patna junction.

A capital outlay of ₹2.40 lakh crores has been provided for the Railways. This is the highest ever outlay and about 9x outlay made in 2013-2014: Hon’ble Finance Minister @nsitharaman #Budget2023#AmritKaalBudget pic.twitter.com/aGVAZZXzbx — Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) February 1, 2023

The passengers also demonstrated a lot of enthusiasm and excitement around the Vande Bharat trains and the Bullet Train project. Many said Vande Bharat trains should ply from all capital cities of the country.

"The Railways still need to pay a lot of attention to the cleanliness of the trains. Also, the trains that were stopped at the time of Covid should be made operational again," said Rajan Kumar, another passenger.

Regular railway passengers also demanded an increase in the number of trains across the country. Students demanded that the Railways run separate trains to make it easier for them to appear for outstation exams. They said they often have to travel to other cities for sit for competitive or other exams and find it tough to book seats in regular passenger trains.

Passengers further said the Railway Budget should also focus on ensuring provision of better food in trains. Meanwhile, railway passengers in the national capital said they expect more budgetary funds to be allocated for passenger safety and cleanliness.

Deepak Sharma, a passenger at New Delhi Railway station, said, "I want the government to ensure passenger security and they should also invest more money in securing the railway network and making it less prone to accidents. The number and frequency of trains should also increase."

Bhawana Sharma, another commuter at New Delhi Railway station, said safety of women passengers and catering to their hygiene should feature prominently in the Budget.

With ANI inputs