While presenting the Union Budget 2022 in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, 1 February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that 400 new-generation Vande Bharat trains with better efficiency would be brought in during the next three years.
The Ministry of Railways has been allocated a budget of Rs 1,40,367.13 crore.
Announcing the concept of "one station, one product," Sitharaman said that this concept would be popularised and would help local businesses and supply chains.
This is the sixth year since the Railway Budget was merged with the Union Budget in 2017.
Further, 100 PM Gati Shakti Cargo terminals will also be developed during the next three years, Sitharaman announced.
While announcing the budget, the FM said, "Railways will develop new products and efficient logistic services for small farmers and small and medium enterprises, besides taking the lead in the integration of postal and railways network to provide seamless solutions for the movement of passers."
Moreover, Sitharaman announced that as a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat, over 2,000 km of the rail network would be brought under KAWACH – the indigenous anti-collision system – in 2022-23.
The Finance Minister added, "Innovative ways of financing and faster implementation will be encouraged for building metro systems of appropriate type at scale. Multimodal connectivity between mass urban transport and railway stations will be facilitated on priority. Design of metro systems, including civil structures, will be re-oriented and standardised for Indian conditions and needs."
Vande Bharat Train Sets To Be Made of Lightweight Aluminium
The 400 new Vande Bharat train sets are going to be made of lightweight aluminium, as opposed to steel, marking a departure from India’s traditional choice of metal for making its coaches, The Indian Express reported. quoting railway officials.
The officials added that since the train sets would be made of aluminium, each train set would be around 50 tonnes lighter in weight, consuming much less energy than their counterparts made of steel.
Last year, Sitharaman had announced a fund of Rs 1.10 lakh crore for the Indian Railways. Out of this, Rs 1.07 lakh crore was supposed to be the capital expenditure.
This Rs 1.07 lakh crore was equivalent to Rs 19.30 for every Rs 100 it granted to all ministries for core sector development.
'Would Help Complete Stalled Railway Projects': Railway Minister
Later in the day, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the allocated budget would help complete stalled Railways projects.
"The Union Budget has a provision of Rs 1.37 lakh crore of the capital investment support for the Railways. It will help complete the stalled Railways projects," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
He also thanked PM Narendra Modi for a 'record allocation' for the Railways, which will help in redevelopment and modernisation of trains.
"I thank PM Modi for a record allocation for railways. The new Vande Bharat and Kavach (indigenous tech for safety and capacity augmentation) announcement will change passenger experience. There are funds for redevelopment and modernisation of stations.Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, according to ANI
He also said that the indigenously-developed anti-collision system of the trains is SIL-4 (Safety Integrity Level) certified, which is deemed most dependable and safe by international standards, and said that chances of error are once in 10,000 years.
Meanwhile, Sandeep Aggarwal, Chair, Industrial Affairs Committee, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), called it an "excellent budget."
"The announcement regarding 'Kavach' is going to be a gamechanger for Railways. This indigenous technology will improve the density as well as the speed of train movement in India," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)