The Union Railways Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge has said that surveys had been initiated for as many as 14 new railway lines in Karnataka and based on the feasibility study, steps would be taken to release Rs 550 crore to initiate the project works.
The fund allocation for South Western Railway (SWR) had almost been doubled and the Karnataka government has to release the matching grant of Rs 650 crore for the railway projects being taken up on cost-sharing basis.
He was addressing a meeting in Hubli before flagging off two new trains, one to Secunderabad (special train) and another to Kurla (Mumbai) from Hubli railway station on October 2. Kharge said the state had so far released Rs 92 crore for the railway projects and it was yet to release Rs 550 crore in order to initiate the project works.