Rail safety to get its highest-ever budget allocation

NEW DELHI: The upcoming Union budget may earmark the highest-ever allocation of over ₹1.25 lakh crore for rail safety in FY26, two people aware of the plan said.

- Subhash Narayan

This substantive increase of over 15% may come to nearly half the railways' annual allocation likely in the budget, one of two persons quoted above said.

A large part of this increased expenditure would go towards maintaining rolling stock and other infrastructure including track renewals to ensure that train journeys are safer, the person added.

According to the Ministry of Railways, ₹1.08 lakh crore has been budgeted for safety-related activities in FY25. This is a 7% increase in allocation over the previous year, when it spent ₹1.01 lakh crore on strengthening safety. In FY23, Railways spent ₹87,327 on safety works.

The higher allocation will largely go towards maintenance of permanent way and works, motive power and rolling stock, machines and track renewals.