Tamil Nadu has got seven times more budgetary allocation for railway works in 2024-25 compared to 2009-2014: Union Minister

Union Minister flags off Madurai-Bengaluru Cantonment Vande Bharat Express, highlighting railway development in Tamil Nadu.

Union Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna flagged off the Madurai-Bengaluru Cantonment Vande Bharat Express in Madurai on Saturday.

With this, the Madurai Division has three Vande Bharat Express trains. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Somanna pointed out that the Madurai-Bengaluru Cantonment Vande Bharat Express would be the fastest train between the two cities, and travel 596 km (via Tiruchi, Karur, and Salem) in eight hours.

Of the Vande Bharat Express trains flagged off on Saturday, Mr. Modi has given two premium trains to Tamil Nadu, he said, adding that the Railways had witnessed an accelerated growth under the Modi government.

While Tamil Nadu got an average budgetary allocation of ₹875 crore between 2009 and 2014, the Union government has allotted ₹6,362 crore – seven times the previous allocation – for 2024-25.

Electrification and station development were being taken up in a big manner, he said. While only 504 km of the tracks were electrified in Tamil Nadu between 2009 and 2014, a total of 4,150 km was electrified in the last 10 years. Twenty-two railway projects were being taken up a cost of ₹3,346 crore, and 62 stations in the State were getting additional facilities under the Amrit Bharat scheme, he added.

Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan, who was present at the event, appealed to the Minister to make the Koodal Nagar station the second terminal for Madurai.