Capex utilisation by Indian Railways hit record levels in September at 56%

The capital expenditure (capex) of Indian Railways was at a record level in September, with total utilisation standing at 56.5 per cent, according to data from the government. Of the total ₹2.5 trillion budgetary grants, ₹1.4 trillion was utilised, making it the highest-ever utilisation to date.

 

Some of the key sectors where the capex was utilised included safety work, capacity augmentation, customer amenities, and rolling stock. Here's a breakdown of the total amount used by different sectors:

 

Safety works: This category included projects related to Kavach implementation, track renewals, construction of road-over-bridges, bridges, and level crossings. The budget allocated for safety works was ₹39,456 crore, of which ₹22,286 crore has been utilised, representing 56 per cent expenditure. 

 

Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system for Indian Railways, designed to prevent accidents by monitoring train speed and applying brakes automatically in critical situations, such as overspeeding or a loco pilot failing to respond.

 

Capacity augmentation: Initiatives under capacity augmentation included the construction of new railway lines, doubling of existing lines, gauge conversion, electrification projects, and development of metropolitan transport systems. The budget for these projects was ₹1.09 trillion, of which ₹49,001 crore has been spent so far, accounting for 45 per cent of the allocation.

 

Customer amenities: Investments aimed at enhancing passenger convenience and experience fall under this category. The total budget allocated stood at ₹12,004 crore. At least ₹5,863 crore, or 49 per cent of the budget, has been utilised so far.

 

Rolling stock: This category included activities such as the acquisition and maintenance of locomotives, coaches, and other rolling stock. The budget for rolling stock was ₹56,693 crore, of which ₹25,948 crore, or 46 per cent, was spent.