2 min readNew DelhiMar 16, 2026 10:12 PM IST
The Opposition members on Monday appealed to the government to improve basic facilities in the Railways, but the NDA members praised the government for the “huge” investment that led to expansion of railway network and gave a boost to infrastructure.
During a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the demand for grants for the Railway Ministry, Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil said the government should concentrate on improving the basic issues in Railways rather than giving attention to the “showpieces”. He also urged the trains discontinued during the Covid pandemic be restarted.
Congress MP Adoor Prakash said the CAG, in its reports, has highlighted more than 1 lakh complaints about the non-availability of water on trains. “Government should give more attention to such issues… Passenger comfort continues to be neglected,” said Prakash.
Prakash, who represents Attingal constituency, also said a train service from Thiruvananthapuram to Varanasi should be started.
SP MP from Azamgarh, Dharmendra Yadav, claimed that people of Uttar Pradesh were “frustrated” with the Union Budget, as fund allocation to the state has decreased over the years. “Except for Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of PM Narendra Modi, there has been no development in the other parts of Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
Participating in the debate, BJP MP Vishnu Dayal Ram claimed the railway network is going through a massive modernisation process. Earlier, he claimed, there was less investment in the development of railway infrastructure, but now “huge” investments are being made.
“There has been unprecedented development in the railways, which will soon become a leading network in the world,” the BJP MP said.
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Mallesh Babu of the JD(S), an NDA ally, said that PM Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw have ushered in a “golden age” for the railways, with massive investments to improve its infrastructure.
BJP MP Shobhanaben Baraiya claimed there have been record investments for the development of railways and ensuring safety and comfort of passengers.
