India's Railways Announces ₹13 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Plan Amid Wider Transport Cost Overruns

Indian Railways has unveiled a ₹13 lakh crore, 400‑project infrastructure pipeline aimed at expanding network capacity and raising the rail freight modal share from about 27 % to 40‑45 % by 2032. The plan focuses on removing bottlenecks, adding dedicated freight corridors and high‑speed lines, and is intended to shift freight from road to rail, improving logistics efficiency and sustainability.

A separate government report for June 2026 shows cumulative cost overruns of roughly ₹4.93 lakh crore across 1,847 ongoing infrastructure projects, with the transport and logistics sector leading the pipeline. The transport sector accounts for 1,341 projects and a revised cost of about ₹22.32 lakh crore, while the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways oversees 1,022 projects. The Ministry of Railways is handling 255 projects with a revised cost of ₹8.69 lakh crore. The data indicates many projects are in advanced stages, but cost growth highlights fiscal pressures on India's large‑scale infrastructure drive.