In a historic announcement on February 1, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw unveiled an ambitious plan for the Northeastern region, allocating a staggering Rs. 10,369 crores in the interim Budget 2024-25, which marks an astonishing 388% increase compared to the average budget between 2009-14.

Emphasizing the strategic significance, Vaishnaw detailed a capital outlay exceeding Rs. 2.5 lakh crores for Indian Railways. The plan introduces three transformative railway corridor programs – the Energy, Mineral, and Cement Corridor; Port-Connectivity Corridor; and High-Traffic Density Corridor, aimed at enhancing logistics efficiency, reduce transportation costs, and ensure safety for passenger trains.

Notably, a substantial portion of the budget is reportedly dedicated to converting 40,000 normal railway coaches to Vande Bharat standards, a move focused on modernizing and standardizing the rail fleet.

Furthermore, a comprehensive redevelopment plan for 60 Northeastern stations is underway, promising world-class amenities with announcement of a key initiative, the ‘One Station One Product’ stall, which offers passengers direct access to locally produced items, garnering overwhelming response and supporting regional businesses, as per reports.

During a media interaction, Vaishnaw expressed satisfaction with ongoing project works in the Northeast, commending teams working tirelessly in challenging terrains for early project completion. Despite the rugged Himalayan region, all projects are progressing impressively, as reported.

In sum, a monumental investment of Rs. 81,941 crores is reportedly assured for entire northeastern region railway infrastructure development.