Metro Boom: Rs 24,931 Crore Boost for Urban Rail in India

The government has proposed a budget allocation of Rs 1,300 crore for the acquisition of electric buses and Rs 24,931 crore for various metro projects in the country in the interim budget.

As part of the PM-eBus Sewa scheme, approximately 10,000 electric buses will be deployed in 169 cities through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The scheme, set to continue until 2037, has a total outlay of Rs 57,613 crore, with Rs 20,000 crore from the Centre and the remaining supported by the states. This initiative aims to address the challenges of rapid urbanization by leveraging metro rail and NaMo Bharat trains to facilitate urban transformation, particularly in large cities focusing on transit-oriented development.

The interim budget allocates Rs 2,400 crore to the smart cities mission, a decrease from the Rs 8,000 crore allocated in the 2023-24 general budget. The mission, scheduled to conclude in June of this year, aims to support intelligent urban development. Additionally, there is a 7.57 percent increase in funds for the mass rapid transit (MRT) system and metro projects compared to the previous year's allocation of Rs 23,175 crore.

News by Rahul Yelligetti