Government's top most priority is to modernise railways: PM Modi

Asserting that the railways are connected with every citizen and where the poorest of the poor is benefitted, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said his government has accorded its top-most priority to modernising the railways.

"This government has given priority to railways, we want it to progress and help bring qualitative change in people's lives. We are focusing on state of the art technology and on the issue of railway safety," Modi said at a 'bhoomi-poojan' ceremony in Gandhinagar railway station complex.

Emphasizing that the railway give 'Gati' (Speed) and 'Pragati' (Progress) to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said the government has doubled the railway's budget to establish state -of- the- art technologies and to improve the security of railways tracks.

"The budget allocation for Railways has been increased in comparison to last year. Apart from that, we have doubled our work in gauge conversion of railway tracks," he said.

Noting that the railways attracts one of the highest Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in India, the Prime Minister said two big Loco engineering and manufacturing units are being set up to improve the overall infrastructure of rail networks.

He said the works are being expedited to make railways diesel-free and efforts are being undertaken to electrify the railways.