State got many rail projects this time

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 1

Haryana got several projects in the Railway Budget presented on February 26.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Haryana, announced at least three new track doubling projects for the state. These included the Mathura-Palwal line (80 km) at an estimated cost Rs 524 crore, the Ambala (Mohri-Sambhu) of about 7 km (estimated cost Rs 150 crore) and Rohtak-Bhiwani(48 km) track (estimated cost Rs 400 crore).

Official sources said a survey for a 65-km railway line from Farrukhnagar to Charkhi Dadri via Jhajjar also formed part of the Budget estimates.

Several railway electrification projects, including Rohtak-Bhiwani (48 km) and Hisar-Ratangarh Kankwal & Mandi Dabwali-Dhaban (part of Hisar-Bhatinda-Suratgarh-Phalodi-Jodhpur-Bhildi) covering nearly 143 Km were also announced by the Railway Minister. A sum of Rs 164 crore has been allocated for railway electrification in 2015-16 whereas nothing was allocated under this head in 2014-15.

The sources said funds for passenger amenities increased by about 60% from Rs 228.95 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 362.61 crore in this year’s budget. The number of ROB/RUB sanctioned also went up from nil in 2014-15 to 27 in this year’s budget.

The outlay for train maintenance works also witnessed a jump of over 920% from Rs 2 crore in 2014-15 to 20.45 crorein 2015-16.