Budget : Railways Gets Record Capex Boost of Rs 2.6 Lakh Crore

Indian Railways is set to see a record capital expenditure (capex) of Rs 2.6 trillion in fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24). This announcement in the Budget on February 1 would give a push to the massive infrastructure expansion lined up and the government’s share would contribute around Rs 2.4 trillion to this — the highest ever.
The Railways is targeting an operating ratio of 98.45 per cent for the fiscal year, compared to a revised ratio of 98.22 per cent in FY23. This means the Railways aims to spend about Rs 98.45 for every Rs 100 it earns in FY24. During the last fiscal year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had allocated Rs 1.4 trillion for the rail sector. “This year is the highest ever outlay in the history of Railways — almost nine times the outlay made in 2013-14,” the finance minister said.