Indian Railways Achieves 98% Budget Utilization Ahead of Schedule

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed that Indian Railways has utilized 98% of its budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 by February's end, showcasing efficient project implementation. The minister highlighted significant developments, including a new corridor between Mumbai and Pune that will reduce travel time to just 28 minutes. With the electrification of 49,000 kilometers of tracks, the railways aim to surpass air travel on several routes, making train journeys more appealing. As travel times decrease, the minister predicts a decline in flight services on these routes, emphasizing the shift towards rail transport.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 11, 2026, 14:55 IST

Significant Budget Utilization by Indian Railways

On Monday, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Indian Railways had successfully utilized 98% of its budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 by the end of February. This achievement reflects the rapid implementation of various projects. The minister noted that nearly all capital expenditure from the previous fiscal year was spent by the first week of March, with over 98% utilized by the last week of February. Following this, there was a need to slow down spending to ensure a balanced conclusion to the fiscal year.

New Corridor Development Between Mumbai and Pune

The minister further revealed that a total of 49,000 kilometers of railway tracks have been electrified in India, surpassing the entire rail network of Germany. Additionally, 36,000 kilometers of new tracks have been added, which is nearly six times more than Switzerland's rail network. Vaishnaw emphasized that travel times on these new routes will significantly decrease, encouraging passengers to prefer trains over flights. He mentioned that a new corridor is being developed between Mumbai and Pune, reducing travel time to just 28 minutes. The journey from Pune to Hyderabad will take 1 hour and 55 minutes, while traveling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru will take approximately 2 hours.

Flight Services on Certain Routes to Decline

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated, "On these routes, flight services will not receive much attention. These areas will nearly become obsolete for airline companies. Investors in airlines should understand that 99% of traffic on these routes will be handled by railways." He added that the travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai will be reduced to 78 minutes, effectively merging the two cities into a single metropolitan area. Furthermore, the journey from Delhi to Varanasi will take 3 hours and 50 minutes, while the trip from Delhi to Lucknow will be possible in about 2 hours.