PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Uttarakhand has received Rs 4,769 crore in the Railway budget for 2026-27 as announced by the Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during a virtual media briefing on Monday.
He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this record budget allocation of Rs 2.93 lakh crore for capital expenditure for the Railways. He also thanked the Union Finance minister for this support, highlighting that Uttarakhand will benefit significantly from the budget.
Vaishnaw pointed out that between 2009 and 2014, only Rs 187 crore had been allocated for railway work in Uttarakhand. However, the 2026-27 Railway budget marks a record allocation of Rs 4,769 crore, which is 26 times higher than the allocations during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, he claimed.
He further informed that projects worth a total of Rs 39,491 crore are currently underway in Uttarakhand. This substantial investment includes track construction, station redevelopment and safety enhancements across the State. Under the AMRIT Station Scheme, 11 stations in Uttarakhand have been selected for complete redevelopment, with an investment of Rs 147 crore dedicated to station modernisation.
The Railway minister stated that to improve connectivity and introduce premium train services, three Vande Bharat Express trains and one Amrit Bharat Express train are operational in the State.
Uttarakhand’s railway network has expanded rapidly, achieving 100 per cent electrification. Since 2014, 334 km of rail lines have been electrified and 106 flyovers and underpasses have been constructed. A total of 54 Kavach have been approved so far to enhance railway safety, he said.
Vaishnaw also informed that work on the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project is advancing quickly and it is moving towards the inauguration phase.
