New Delhi: The Union government has allocated Rs10,928 crore for the development of railway infrastructure in Odisha in the Union Budget for the financial year 2026-27, which was presented in Parliament last week by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the media on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the finance minister had approved a record allocation of Rs 10,928 crore for Odisha’s rail sector in the 2026-27 Budget.
He added that various railway projects worth Rs90,659 crore are currently underway across the state. Vaishnaw stated that when the double-engine government assumed office in 2024, it had promised the implementation of railway projects worth over Rs1 lakh crore in Odisha over five years.
He noted that the State had so far reached projects totaling Rs90,659 crore and that additional projects worth around Rs10,000 crore would be required to meet the target, emphasizing the government’s commitment to fulfilling its earlier promise.
The minister also mentioned that the proposed East–West Freight Corridor, starting from Dankuni in West Bengal, will pass through Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, eventually connecting to Surat Port in Gujarat and Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra.
In a post on X, he highlighted that this corridor is expected to boost industrial development in Odisha.
Vaishnaw further pointed out that six pairs each of Vande Bharat Express and Amrit Bharat Express train services are currently operational in the State.
