Three Vande Bharat Express trains are likely to be introduced on Patna-Howrah, Patna-Ranchi and Varanasi-Howrah via Gaya routes from April this year. Bihar has got a record allocation of ₹8,505 crore in the railway budget for the fiscal 2023-24 and 87 stations will be redeveloped in the state, besides construction of new rail bridge parallel to Rajendra bridge between Mokama and Begusarai, an East Central Railway (ECR) official said, citing a statement by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. This was nearly seven times the railway budget allocations in the past for the state, which received around ₹1,132 crore between 2009 and 2014, the official said.
The zonal railway headquarter at Hajipur has got a budget allocation of ₹10,232 crore for 2023-24. The union budget has allocated funds for laying new rail lines on Gaya-Bodhgaya-Chatra, Gaya-Natesar, Gaya- Daltonganj via Rafiganj, Rajgir-Hisua-Tilaiya & Natesar-Islampur, Bihta-Aurangabad via Anugrahnarayan Road, Araria-Galgalia, Fatuha-Ismalpur-Neora-Daniyawan-Biharsharif-Barbigha- Sheikhpura, Koderma-Tilaiya, Hajipur-Sagauli via Vaishali, Araria-Supaul, Sakri-Hasanpur and Chapra-Muzaffarpur, among others.
A total of ₹238 crore has been allocated for gauge conversion, which includes Jayanagar-Darbhanga-Narkatiaganj, Sakri-Laukaha Bazar-Nirmali-Saharsa-Forbesganj and Mansi-Saharsa- Madhepura-Purnia rail lines, the official said.
