Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Receive Major Railway Budget Boost for 2025

Hyderabad: The South Central Railway (SCR) has received a historic railway budget allocation of ₹14,754 crore for the current year, marking an increase from last year's ₹14,232 crore. Of this amount, ₹5,337 crore is earmarked for Telangana, while Andhra Pradesh will receive ₹9,417 crore. This year’s budget allocation for both states reflects significant growth in railway investments, with Telangana's funds rising slightly by ₹1 crore compared to last year, and Andhra Pradesh’s allocation increasing by ₹266 crore.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, during a virtual press conference from New Delhi on Monday, announced that the total investment in railway projects for Telangana has reached ₹41,677 crore, while Andhra Pradesh has seen a surge to ₹84,559 crore. The railway investments in both states have seen remarkable growth since the period of united Andhra Pradesh, where the budget allocation for railways from 2009 to 2014 was only about ₹886 crore annually.

The South Central Railway network, which serves both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, is now fully electrified and has become a leader in the installation of ‘Kavach’, an automatic train protection system. A total of 1,465 kilometers of track have already been equipped with this system, and trials for the next version are ongoing. The Railway Minister stated that the goal is to deploy ‘Kavach’ across the entire Indian rail network within the next six years.

Additionally, five ‘Vande Bharat’ trains are now operational in Telangana, connecting seven districts with nine stops. In total, 40 stations are being redeveloped, and the government has approved the launch of 50 new Namo Bharat trains, 200 Vande Bharat trains, and 100 Amrit Bharat trains in the coming years.

In a major infrastructure boost, about 7,000 kilometers of old track will be replaced and upgraded to allow trains to run at speeds of up to 160 kmph on important routes. Some routes will be capable of running trains at 130 kmph, while the entire network will support trains running at speeds of 100 kmph.

SCR General Manager Arun Kumar Jain and other senior officers were present during the announcement, underlining the importance of these developments in enhancing the railway network in both states.