The railway allocation for Kerala in the Union Budget has left the people disappointed because of the relatively low fund allocation compared to the neighbouring states and the lack of any new projects for the upcoming financial year.
Already upset by the `neglect' of Kerala in the general budget, the share is of ₹3,042 crore in the allocation for the railways is generally considered `poor.' However, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that the Rs 3,042 outlay was an eightfold increase when compared to the annual allocations during the 2009-2014 period when the Congress-led UPA government was in power.
The national budget has allocated ₹2.65 lakh crore for railways this year, with Kerala receiving ₹3,042 crore—a modest increase of just ₹31 crore compared to last year’s allocation of ₹3,011 crore.
Despite the minister’s emphasis on the significant increase from UPA-era allocations, Kerala’s share remains considerably lower than that of neighbouring states. Tamil Nadu has secured ₹6,626 crore, while Karnataka received ₹7,564 crore. Notably, no new schemes or projects have been announced specifically for Kerala.
The minister said the central government had urged Kerala to sign a tripartite agreement of the state government, the Ministry of Railways, and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to facilitate the long-awaited Sabari railway line project.
This proposed agreement aims to ensure timely payments from the state. If Kerala fails to contribute its share of the project cost on time, the RBI will cover the amount for the Ministry of Railways and subsequently recover it from Kerala’s central assistance for other schemes. As of now, the Kerala government’s response is pending.
The Sabari railway line is a long-pending infrastructure initiative in Kerala aimed at connecting Angamaly in Ernakulam district to Erumeli near the famous pilgrimage centre of Sabarimala. Spanning 116 km, this project is expected to improve connectivity for devotees and boost regional economic development.
Originally conceived in the late 1990s, the project has faced multiple delays due to land acquisition challenges, environmental concerns, and funding issues
Looking ahead, the minister said, India is set to roll out 200 Vande Bharat trains in the next two to three years, alongside 100 Amrit Bharat and 50 NaMo Bharat trains. The trial run for Vande Bharat sleeper trains has already been completed.
“These trains will be on the track very soon,” the minister said, although specific routes for the new services are yet to be announced.
