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Railways spends 61% of budgeted allocation till October via Rs 1.63 lakh crore capex

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New Delhi: The Indian Railways has utilised 61% of its budgeted allocation - till October-end - through a ₹1.63 lakh crore capital expenditure (capex) for the current fiscal. According to officials aware of the development, earnings of the national transporter were at an upswing with ₹1.02 lakh crore earnings from freight and ₹46,374.5 crore from passengers during the months under review.

"Total revenue stood 6.1% higher at ₹1.49 lakh crore this fiscal," a senior official told ET.

For the full fiscal, the Railways has earmarked ₹2.65 lakh crore as capex. It also expects to rake in ₹80,000 crore from passengers, and ₹1.80 lakh crore as freight revenue.

Budget 2024-25 had rejigged allocations to the Indian Railways public enterprises and tweaked amounts under other heads such as buying trains. Despite the tinkering, a broader push towards modernised Vande Bharat trains, easing congestion, and faster freight movement on energy, cement, and port connectivity routes continued.

Allocation for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is kept at ₹21,000 crore. The Dedicated Freight Corridor expects to get a boost with the enhanced budgetary support of ₹8,155 crore. Capital expenditure for rolling stock-locomotives, wagons, and coaches-is pegged at ₹40,313.78 crore this year.

According to official estimates, there is an increase in both reserved and unreserved passengers using the Indian Railways this year. There is a 5.94% rise in the number of unreserved passengers this year, crossing 3.85 billion this fiscal. Reserved passengers this fiscal stood 6.42% higher at 501.12 million till October-end.
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For the full financial year, the Railways aims to ferry 7.47 billion passengers, up from 6.84 billion in fiscal 2023-24.

Revenue expenditure for the current fiscal stood at ₹1.35 lakh crore till October-end. This is largely used to pay pensions, salaries, buy diesel and electricity to operate trains. The Railways expects to incur ₹1.18 lakh crore as staff cost and ₹65,000 crore for pensions this fiscal.

Railways plans to buy diesel worth ₹10,817.34 crore, and electricity for ₹23,744.94 crore in fiscal 2024-25.

It also needs to pay ₹21,806.47 crore as Lease charges to the Indian Railway Finance Corporation ( IRFC), among others.
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