Centre allotted Rs 2,744 crore for railway development in Kerala: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday (Feb 1) said that the Centre allocated Rs 2744 crore for the railway development in Kerala.

New Delhi: Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said that Kerala has received Rs 2,744 crore from the Central Government for the development of railway in the state. He was speaking at a press meet in New Delhi on Thursday (Feb 1).  The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman included this provision in her interim budget. He said that during the UPA regime, only Rs 372 crore was allotted to Kerala. 

The central government's plans for the Sabari railway project, which Vaishnav also described, call for building a 111-kilometer railway line that runs from Angamaly to Erumeli and maybe beyond an ideal location close to Pamba.

He stated that the project was considering two alignments and emphasised the necessity for the Kerala state government to be involved in the land acquisition process proactively, including altering some of the route's existing curves.

The minister questioned whether the Silver Line project had been abandoned and criticised the state administration for not being interested enough in railway development. He compared the UPA government's and the present NDA administration's commitment to Kerala's railway infrastructure, stating that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's direction, funds had increased sevenfold.

The Railway Minister also informed that Vande Bharat is running well in Kerala.