Patna: The passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has prompted retired railway employees and union members to reflect on the major railway projects sanctioned to Bihar during his tenure. RJD chief Lalu Prasad was the railway minister then. The strategic investments, worth over Rs 45,000 crore, played a major role in transforming Bihar’s railway network, resulting in both economic growth and improved connectivity for the region.
“Under Prasad’s leadership as railway minister from 2004, and with the backing of Manmohan Singh’s cabinet, several innovative measures were introduced to revitalise Indian Railways, particularly in Bihar,” said V P Singh, president of ECR Men’s Congress. “The focus was on infrastructure expansion, modernisation of railway stations and improving rail services,” he added.
Some of the flagship projects sanctioned during their tenure include the Bela Wheel Factory in Chhapra (Rs 1,000 crore), the Diesel Locomotive Factory at Marhaurah in Saran (Rs 2,025 crore) and the Electric Locomotive Factory at Madhepura (Rs 1,300 crore). Other projects included the goods wagon repair workshop at Sonepur (Rs 9 crore), a DEMU maintenance depot at Sonepur (Rs 33 crore) and concrete sleeper factories in Madhepura, Sitamarhi and Chaksikandar (Rs 5 crore each), V P Singh said.
A retired senior section engineer from Danapur, A K Verma, pointed out that one of the achievements was the introduction of 36 new mail and express trains, including the Garib Rath, originating from Bihar. The expansion also included new rail lines, track doubling, gauge conversion, modern signalling systems and passenger amenities at various stations across the state.
According to sources, the allocation of Rs 45,000 crore was part of a broader vision to uplift Bihar’s infrastructure. While critics pointed out challenges in implementation and delays in some projects, the long-term impact of these investments has been widely acknowledged.