Railways get ₹2.52 lakh cr to boost infra, modernization, operations

The total capital expenditure for the Railways has been set at Rs 2,65,200 crore, with Rs 2,52,000 crore coming from General Revenues

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE

NEW DELHI: The Union government has allocated Rs 2.52 lakh crore for the Indian Railways in FY26, maintaining nearly the same funding level as the previous year. The announcement was made in the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday.

As per budget documents, the total capital expenditure for the Railways has been set at Rs 2,65,200 crore, with Rs 2,52,000 crore coming from General Revenues. Additional funding sources include Rs 200 crore from the Nirbhaya Fund, Rs 3,000 crore from Internal Resources, and Rs 10,000 crore from Extra Budgetary Resources.

The Railways has projected total receipts of Rs 3,02,100 crore in 2025-26, up from Rs 2,79,000 crore in the revised estimates for 2024-25.

The revised estimates for 2024-25 indicate improved earnings in both passenger and freight segments. Passenger revenue rose to Rs 80,000 crore from Rs 70,693 crore in 2023-24, while freight earnings increased to Rs 1,80,000 crore from Rs 1,68,199 crore.

The revenue targets for 2025-26 remain at similar levels, with a 13.2 per cent growth in passenger receipts. Railway safety expenditure has been set at Rs 1,16,514 crore for 2025-26, with the network expanding by nearly 4,000 km annually.