Budget 2019: Railways may line up its highest-ever capex of Rs 1.7 trillion

Sources said railway minister Piyush Goyal is of the opinion that there should be no shortage of funds for infrastructure works

The railways is likely to line up its highest-ever capital expenditure of Rs 1.65-1.7 trillion for the upcoming Budget. 

The national transporter is also knocking on the doors of the finance ministry to increase gross budgetary support (GBS) by 28 per cent from the budgeted Rs 53,060 crore in 2018-19 to around Rs 68,000 crore in 2019-20.

Sources, however, indicate that the Centre is likely to cut budgetary support to the railways by around Rs 5,000-10,000 crore for 2018-19, out of the total budgeted GBS of Rs 53,060 crore. Due to this cut in GBS, the railways is likely to