BENGALURU: The interim Union Budget presented on Friday has earmarked Rs 1,828 crore as budgetary grant for the South Western Railway (SWR) zone for 2019-2020, an increase of 20% over the sum provided for 2018-2019. No new project or trains have been announced for the zone and the thrust is on completion of the ongoing doubling and electrification projects.

A sum of Rs 10 crore has been announced for the proposed Rs 23,000 crore dedicated suburban rail corridor for Bengaluru city.

While new lines (referring to existing single lines where work began recently) have got Rs 243 crore, rolling stock has got Rs 38 crore, payment of capital component (Rs 389 crore), passenger amenities (Rs 187 crore), workshops (Rs 187 crore), and other works (Rs 36 crore).

Passenger amenities have been given a major boost with Rs 171 crore allocated in the upcoming financial year as compared to just Rs 69 crore in the Rs 1,695 crore outlay provided for the ongoing financial year.

Amenities will be given a boost at six stations in Bengaluru Railway Division — Bengaluru Cantonment, Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Station, Banaswadi, Krishnarajpuram, Mandya, and Hassan. In Mysuru Division, Mysuru, Davangere and Hassan are set to get a facelift while Dharwad, Hospet, Vasco Da Gama and Ballari in Hubballi Division are set to be improved. A total of 83 platforms will be raised to a high level in the division.

The ongoing news railway lines have been sanctioned grants for continuation of the ongoing projects: Hubballi-Ankola (Rs 255 crore), Rayadurg-Tumukuru via Kalyandurg (Rs 135 crore), Bagalkot-Kudachi (Rs 20 crore), Tumukuru-Chitradurga-Davangere (Rs 100 crore) and Gadag-Wadi (Rs 150 crore).

While Yeshwanthpur-Channasandra doubling project has got Rs 42 crore, Baiyappanahalli-Hosur (Rs 82 crore), Hospet-Hubballi-Londa-Tinaighat-Vasco Da Gama (Rs 259 crore), Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag (Rs 200 crore), Yelahanka-Penukonda (Rs 132 crore), Hubballi-Chikjajur(Rs 102 crore), and Arisikere-Tumukuru (Rs 103 crore) are the other doubling projects that have got grants.

Swami, CAO Constructions, SWR, said, "This is basically a carryover Budget. No new projects have been sanctioned." SWR General Manager Ajay Kumar Singh said the Budget has not elicited much interest as no new announcements have been made.

Transportation expert Sanjeev Dyammannavar felt that the importance given to safety has come down. "The sum allocated to eliminate railway level crossings has been reducing over the years," he added.