The railways will likely seek gross budgetary support (GBS) of around Rs 1.5 trillion for 2023-24, up from the outlay of Rs 1.37 trillion for the current fiscal year, according to an official source.
The GBS is one of the main sources for capital expenditure for the national transporter, which barely makes any operational surplus. It also borrows from the market via the dedicated arm IRFC and from other sources including multilateral agencies, besides crowding in private investments via the PPP route.
