Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw speaks at a press meet on the Budget 2023-24, in New Delhi, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 | Photo: PTI
New Delhi: Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said Rs 100 crore is allotted for the Angamaly-Erumeli Sabari rail route in the Union budget 2023-24. The union minister assured to visit Kerala and hold discussions with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on developing the railway infrastructure of Kerala.
The union minister also promised that Kerala would get the first Vande Bharat train soon. The budget details released on Friday ensured funds for doubling the major rail routes and renovating 34 railway stations in the state.
Meanwhile, the Minister refrained from responding to the question whether the union government would give a nod to the SilverLine semi-high speed rail project. He alleged that the project estimate submitted by the state government was very low compared to actual expenditures.
K- Rail had conducted a detailed project report for the Sabari project and submitted a renewed estimate worth Rs 3,744 crore to the Union Ministry for Railways in November 2022.
Rs 550 crore was the estimate for the Sabari project when it received approval in 1997-98. Out of the total 111-kilometre-long rail route, the construction works of only a seven-kilometre rail track, a railway station in Kalady and a one-kilometre-long bridge have been completed as of now. As many as 14 stations will operate between Angamaly and Erumeli.