Indian Railways has achieved a significant milestone in capital expenditure during the current financial year, utilising more than 80 percent of its allocated Gross Budgetary Support within the first three quarters. As of the end of December 2025, expenditure stood at ₹2,03,138 crore, accounting for 80.54 percent of the total Gross Budgetary Support of ₹2,52,200 crore for 2025–26. This marks an improvement of 6.54 percent over utilisation levels recorded during the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
The Ministry of Railways has directed the bulk of this expenditure towards priority areas critical to transforming the rail network into a safer, faster and more passenger centric system. Safety related works have seen the highest utilisation, with 84 percent of the allocated funds already spent. These investments underline the continued focus on accident prevention, signalling upgrades and strengthening of core safety infrastructure.
Capacity enhancement has also remained a key area of investment. Of the ₹1,09,238 crore earmarked for augmenting network capacity, ₹76,048 crore, or 69 percent, has been utilised by December 2025. This spending supports projects such as new lines, track doubling, gauge conversion and improvements in traffic facilities, all aimed at easing congestion and improving operational efficiency across the network.
Passenger focused infrastructure has recorded strong progress as well. Expenditure on customer amenities has reached ₹9,575 crore, representing around 80 percent utilisation. These investments have contributed to improved station facilities, better onboard services and enhanced travel comfort, while maintaining rail transport as an affordable option for millions of passengers.
The sustained capital expenditure over the past decade is already delivering visible outcomes. Indian Railways now operates 164 Vande Bharat train services and 30 Amrit Bharat train services, has implemented the Kavach automatic train protection system on key routes, and has achieved over 99 percent electrification of the broad gauge network. Large scale investments have also been made in railway public sector undertakings and metropolitan transport systems, strengthening both intercity and urban mobility.
With the Vande Bharat Sleeper train scheduled for inauguration shortly, Indian Railways is preparing to further transform long distance and overnight travel. The strong pace of expenditure indicates that infrastructure projects are being executed on schedule and that the capital investment targets for the 2025–26 financial year are likely to be fully achieved, reinforcing the Railways’ role as a backbone of national connectivity and economic growth.
