3 Vande Bharat Express trains to run via Bihar from April

Bihar has a record allocation of ₹8,505 crore in the railway budget for FY 2023-24 and 87 stations will be redeveloped in the state, apart from the construction of a new railway bridge parallel to Rajendra Bridge between Mokama and Begusarai, East Central Railway (ECR official said) with referring to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's statement.

This was almost seven times more than the previous allocation for the railways for the state, which received around ₹1,132 crore between 2009 and 2014, the official said. Three Vande Bharat Express trains are likely to be introduced on Patna-Howrah, Patna-Ranchi and Varanasi-Howrah routes via Gaya from April this year. The Zonal Railway Headquarters at Hajipur has been allocated a budget of ₹10,232 crore for 2023–24.

The union budget allocated funds for laying new railway lines at 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 reconstruction, which includes the Jayanagar-Darbhanga-Narkatiaganj, Sakri-Laukaha Bazar-Nirmali-Saharsa-Forbesganj and Mansi-Saharsa-Madhepura-Purnia railway lines, the official said. According to Birendra Kumar, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) ECR, Gaya station will cost ₹296 crore, Muzaffarpur at a cost of ₹442 crore, Bapudham Motihari (₹221 crore) and Sitamarhi (₹262 crore) under the Amrit Bharat scheme.

Danapur Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Prabhat Kumar said more than 15 railway stations in Bihar that come under ECR will be developed as world-class – including Patna, Danapur, Rajgir and Jehanabad. The DRM said that ₹300 crore has been sanctioned for the Neora-Daniyawan-Sheikhpura railway section, which is likely to be completed by June 2024. This is the third alternative route of the main line. A total of 57 projects worth ₹74,880 crore are underway in Bihar, the official said.