The Centre’s decision to merge the Railway Budget with the Union Budget will facilitate better allocation of funds for the Railways, according to Rajen Gohain, Union Minister of State for Railways.

At present, the Railways needs to generate its own funds, which is a major challenge. Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu has announced various development projects for Railways, and this requires large funds that will now be allocated from the Union Budget, he told newspersons on his first visit to Chennai after taking over as minister.

Discussions

Gohain said he had a series of discussions with officials of the Southern Railway and representatives from various unions on various issues.

The minister said work on commissioning of 5th and 6th lines between Basin Bridge and Moore Market Complex is going on in full swing. Work on Tambaram terminal is expected to be completed soon.

On the 60-km doubling in the Villupurm-Dindigul section and 17 km of the 4th line between Tiruvallur and Tiruvalangadu have been commissioned. The remaining doubling of 113 km between Villupuram and Dindigul will be completed this year, he said.

The full stretch between Madurai and Chennai will have double line electrified track.

Rail safety

A press release said that to strengthen safety, it has been planned to commission an integrated emergency response management system at a cost of ₹70 crore, covering 136 stations under the Nirbhaya Fund. To prevent crime against passengers, 537 mail/express trains are escorted daily by 1,121 Railway Protection Force personnel.

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