Lok Sabha has taken up discussion on the demands for grants under the control of the Ministry of Railways for 2026-27. Initiating the discussion, Tariq Anwar of Congress alleged that the government has failed to meet its own targets. He said, under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, out of one thousand 337 stations, the redevelopment work has been completed at only 160 stations.’ Mr Anwar also alleged that the government is only making announcements in the name of passenger safety. He also expressed concern over the shortage of employment in the Indian Railways. Mr Anwar claimed that in 2010-11, there were a total of 13.28 lakh employees in the railways, which has now reduced to 11.72 lakh.
Ganesh Singh of the BJP said that over the last ten years, a significant transformation has taken place in the railways. He said that new technologies have been introduced, and the railway network is also being expanded. He added that earlier the railway budget was merely 630 thousand crore rupees in 2013-14, which has now increased to two lakh 78 thousand crore rupees. Mr Singh said that in 2026-27, an amount of 36,722 crore rupees has been proposed for new railway lines and 37,750 crore rupees for the doubling of railway tracks.
June Maliah of TMC said that Indian Railway is not merely a transport system, but it is a lifeline, connecting millions of people every single day. He said that West Bengal has played a crucial role in the growth of the Railways. She alleged that the pace of railways development work in West Bengal is not keeping up with the pace seen in several other states. Ms Maliah said that the Railway budget of West Bengal has been increased only three times.
G M Harish Balayogi of TDP said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Railway infrastructure has been strengthened in the country. He said the allocation for railways in the Union Budget 2026-27 reflects that the priority is being given to modernisation, expansion and capacity creation across the network. Mr Balayogi said in recent years, the country has witnessed several important milestones. He said the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway line and the commissioning of the new are the key achievements of the Indian Railway.
Kausalendra Kumar of JDU said that the number of three-tier sleeper coaches had been reduced after the Covid pandemic. He urged the government to increase the number of coaches. Shrirag Appa Barne of Shiv Sena lauded the government for running the Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat Trains in Maharashtra. Kumari Selja of Congress said, Haryana is one of the fastest economic regions of the country, but Railways’ infrastructure has not kept pace with growing industrial and agricultural expansion. Vishnu Dayal Ram of BJP said that budgetary allocations have witnessed a significant increase under the NDA government since 2014. He said, in this year’s budget, a record two lakh 93 thousand crore rupees capital expenditure target was set for Railways. M Mallesh Babu of JDS said, Railways is witnessing rapid transformation under the NDA government as focus was laid on modernisation of railways’ tracks, stations and rolling stocks. NK Premachandran of RSP said focus must be laid on modernisation, expansion and enhancing the operational efficiency of Indian Railways. Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy of DMK raised the issue of the safety of the railways.
Chandan Chauhan of RLD highlighted that Indian Railways is the backbone of country’s economy. He said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, there has been a record allocation for Railways in the Union Budget.
Shiv Sena’s Naresh Ganpat Mhaske said Railway is the heartbeat and economic engine of the nation. He said the capital expenditure in the Union Budget for Railways will strengthen the railway network. Harsimrat Kaur Badal of SAD expressed disappointment that Punjab has been ignored in the Budget.
Indra Hang Subba of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha said expressed hope that Railways will reach Sikkim in the next two to three years. He thanked Central government for taking steps in this direction.
Tangella Uday Srinivas of Jana Sena Party said the demands for grants for the Ministry of Railways are not just about expenditure. He said these reflect the scale of India’s infrastructure ambition.
Arvind Ganpat Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT), Amar Sharadrao Kale of NCP (SP), Ramvir Singh Bidhuri of BJP, Dharmendra Yadav of Samajwadi Party and Utkarsh Verma of Samajwadi Party also participated in the debate, among others. The discussion remained inconclusive. Later, the House was adjourned for the day to meet at 11 AM tomorrow.
