Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has reviewed the capital expenditure (capex) plan of the Railways Ministry and stressed the importance of improving safety and convenience of commuters. She urged officials to expedite the phased implementation of Kavach, India's indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, and meet the allocated capex targets within the stipulated time frame.

Officials from the Ministry of Railways informed Sitharaman that work related to Kavach is currently underway on over 3,000 km of the route, including the Delhi-Howrah and Delhi-Mumbai sections.

Sitharaman stressed the government's focus on improving the "ease of living" of citizens and urged the ministry to prioritise capacity expansion, safety measures and commuter convenience. This includes doubling and electrifying existing tracks, as well as laying new rail lines as per the capex provisions of the Union Budget.

She also called for expedited conversion of 40,000 standard rail bogies to Vande Bharat standards, as announced in the Interim Budget 2024-25, to enhance safety, comfort and convenience of passengers.

This meeting is part of a series of reviews with ministries and departments that have significant capex allocations in the Union Budget. Sitharaman stressed the importance of achieving the capex targets for FY 2024-25 and building on the progress made in the first 100 days of the government.