CHENNAI: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday told the media that the Centre has allocated an outlay of Rs 6,362 crore for railway projects in Tamil Nadu, which is seven times more than the funds earmarked for the state during the Congress government’s tenure. He was announcing the budgetary allocations for Tamil Nadu and Kerala at the press conference.

Vaishnaw revealed that 2,587 new railway projects are currently under way across the country at a total investment of Rs 33,467 crore. As part of this expansion, approximately 1,302 kilometers of new railway lines are being laid.

In Tamil Nadu, 77 railway stations, including major hubs such as Chennai Beach, Egmore, Chengalpattu, and Guindy will be part of modernisation efforts, he added, as reported by Maalai Malar.

Vaishnaw also pointed out delays in land acquisition by the Tamil Nadu government, and stated that it was affecting the progress of the Chennai Beach - Chennai Egmore 4th Corridor Project. "The implementation of various rail projects in the state requires more than 2,000 acres of land, but so far, only 879 acres have been acquired," the union minister said.

He emphasized that the Tamil Nadu government must expedite the land acquisition process to ensure timely completion of these vital infrastructure projects.

The Union Budget was presented in the Parliament on Tuesday, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivering her seventh budget presentation.