Rail budget: Bengal gets 14,205 crore

Kolkata: Bengal was allocated Rs 14,205 crore in the 2026-27 budget, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a virtual press conference on Monday.

"Against the average allocation of Rs 4,380 crore during the period from 2009 to 2014, a whopping Rs 14,205 crore was allocated for Bengal, reflecting the continued focus on strengthening rail infrastructure in the state," the minister said.


A landmark announcement was made regarding introduction of the high-speed corridor between Varanasi and Siliguri via Patna, which will facilitate the running of bullet trains and enhance high-speed connectivity in eastern India.

"I want to congratulate Bengal — it will get the country's first bullet train, from Siliguri to Varanasi via Patna. PM Narendra Modi introduced a dozen new trains for Bengal in the last year. More than 100 trains were given to the state earlier," Vaishnaw said.

Milind Deouskar, GM, Eastern Railway, and Anil Kumar Mishra, GM, South-Eastern Railway, were present at the respective headquarters during Vaishnaw's press conference.