Rs 14,700 crore allocated for rail development in Madhya Pradesh: Vaishnaw

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said Rs 14,700 crore have been allocated for the development of railways in Madhya Pradesh.

The railway minister on Sunday virtually flagged off a train service from Jaura to Kailaras in Morena district of MP after the route was converted from narrow gauge to broad gauge.

Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and MP assembly speaker Narendra Singh Tomar also showed green flags when the train departed from Jaura station.

"Rs 14700 crore have been allocated for the development of railways in MP. Right now, five Vande Bharat trains are running in Madhya Pradesh. In the last 10 years, 222 kilometres of new rail lines, 1,200 kilometres of multi-tracking and 707 kilometres of gauge conversion projects have been completed in MP," Vaishnaw said in his virtual address at the event.

"The Gwalior-Sheopurkalan (188 km) narrow gauge track is being converted into broad gauge at a cost of Rs 2,355 crore. The 61 kilometre route between Jaura to Kailaras has been converted. The gauge conversion work will be accomplished by July 2025," he said.

The gauge conversion project will help boost socio-economic development of Morena, speed up industrial growth, generate employment as well as reduce transportation costs and time, Vaishnaw said.

"Along with improving connectivity in MP, drones and GPS trackers are being used for disaster management and project monitoring. Moreover, along with passenger services, Gwalior and Khajuraho stations are also being redeveloped," he added.