Assam’s railway allocation rises fivefold to Rs 10,000 Cr: PM Modi
PM stressed that better connectivity is also helping bridge both physical & emotional distances long felt in the Northeast
Guwahati, Jan 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, highlighted a fivefold increase in the railway budget allocation for Assam, saying the Centre’s enhanced funding has driven major infrastructure upgrades and significantly improved rail connectivity and passenger facilities across the state.
Speaking at Kaliabor during the bhoomi pujan ceremony for the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, Modi said Assam earlier received around Rs 2,000 crore annually for railways during previous regimes.
“Under the BJP government, this has increased to nearly Rs 10,000 crore every year; five times more,” the Prime Minister said, linking the higher allocation to new rail lines, track doubling and electrification projects across the state.
As part of the Centre’s renewed thrust on railway-led development, Modi announced the launch of three new train services from Kaliabor, marking a key expansion of Assam’s rail network.
He said the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train would connect Guwahati with Kolkata, offering faster and more comfortable long-distance travel.
In addition, two Amrit Bharat Express trains will link important stations across Assam, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, directly benefiting lakhs of passengers, he said.
He stressed that better connectivity is also helping bridge both physical and emotional distances long felt in the Northeast.
“For decades, the biggest pain of the Northeast was distance; distance of places and distance of hearts. People felt development was happening elsewhere, leaving them behind. This affected not just the economy but also trust,” Modi said, adding that the region is now “no longer on the margins of development, but close to the heart and close to Delhi”.
The Prime Minister said improved rail connectivity would open up new markets for Assam’s traders, provide students easier access to educational institutions and simplify travel across the region.
Modi said the Centre, working in coordination with state governments, has simultaneously strengthened road, rail, air and water connectivity across Assam and the wider Northeast.
According to him, the enhanced railway allocation has enabled large-scale upgrades that have substantially improved capacity and passenger amenities in the state.
With inputs from IANS