Funds for HP rail projects almost tripled during Modi govt term: Goyal

Central funds for railway projects in Himachal Pradesh have almost tripled during the Modi government tenure compared to the allocations made by the previous Congress government, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday.

The minister also apprised reporters here of Himachal-centric new railway projects, including the laying down of a new Jagadhari-Paonta Sahib railway line, the survey for which would be conducted shortly.

The survey for the new railway line would be conducted in view of the expected rise in freight from the industrial area of Paonta Sahib, Goyal told reporters while interacting with them along with Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

Talking about the increase in allocation of Central funds for railway projects in Himachal, Goyal said an average allocation of Rs 280 crore per annum has been made for infrastructure projects and safety works in the hill state in the budget during the Modi government between 2014 and 2019.

This allocation is almost triple the average allocation of Rs 108 crore per annum during 2009-2014. Goyal further said the budget allocation of Rs 770 crore has been made for the year 2021-22 which is over six times more than the average allocation during the period 2009-2014.

Goyal told reporters that in his meeting with Chief Minister Thakur, he discussed various railway projects for the state.

He said a study would be conducted by Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) to examine if the Kalka-Shimla track could be strengthened to improve the speed of the trains plying on this track. The railway minister said the coaches of Kalka-Shimla trains would be redesigned and manufactured to enhance the tourism experience. All the existing coaches on the Kalka-Shimla track will be replaced with vista dome-type coaches so that the tourists could get a panoramic view of the beautiful valleys along the route, he added. Goyal said steps were being taken to expedite work on Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Beri and Chandigarh-Baddi railway lines. Rs 405 crore have been allocated for Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Beri and Rs 200 crore for Chandigarh-Baddi lines. The railway minister further said coaches for trains run on Pathankot-Jogindernagar track would also be replaced for having a panoramic view of Dhauladhar hills along the route.

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