UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Union Budget 2026–27 Drives Passenger-Centric Railway Modernisation, Enhanced Safety, and All-Round Regional Development
Q1. With reference to Indian Railways as presented in the Union Budget 2026-27, consider the following:
1. A record total capital outlay of ₹2,93,030 crore, the highest ever for the Railways.
2. Development of seven high-speed rail corridors as 'growth connectors'.
3. An amount of ₹200 crore for railway works met from the Nirbhaya Fund.
4. Presentation of a separate Railway Budget ahead of the general Union Budget.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- A record total capital outlay of ₹2,93,030 crore, the highest ever for the Railways.
- Development of seven high-speed rail corridors as 'growth connectors'.
- An amount of ₹200 crore for railway works met from the Nirbhaya Fund.
- Presentation of a separate Railway Budget ahead of the general Union Budget.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 3 only
- C. 4 only
- D. 2 and 4
Q2. Consider the following statements comparing the Indian Railways capital outlay of the Union Budget 2026-27 with earlier years:
1. At ₹2,93,030 crore, it is higher than the outlay provided in the previous financial year.
2. It is the highest-ever capital outlay allocated to Indian Railways.
3. It marks the first occasion on which the railway capital outlay has crossed the ₹2 lakh crore mark.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- At ₹2,93,030 crore, it is higher than the outlay provided in the previous financial year.
- It is the highest-ever capital outlay allocated to Indian Railways.
- It marks the first occasion on which the railway capital outlay has crossed the ₹2 lakh crore mark.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. Which one of the following was adopted as the National Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system of Indian Railways?
- A. Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS)
- B. Kavach
- C. ETCS Level 2
- D. Anti-Collision Device (ACD)
Q4. With reference to the Kavach system, consider the following:
1. It is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system.
2. It was developed by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) with Indian industry.
3. It was declared the National ATP system in 2022.
4. It was designed and standardised entirely by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL).
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- It is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system.
- It was developed by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) with Indian industry.
- It was declared the National ATP system in 2022.
- It was designed and standardised entirely by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL).
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q5. The Union Budget 2026-27 proposed seven new high-speed rail corridors. Consider the following:
1. Delhi–Varanasi
2. Chennai–Bengaluru
3. Mumbai–Ahmedabad
4. Mumbai–Pune
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as among the seven new high-speed rail corridors announced in the Budget 2026-27?
- Delhi–Varanasi
- Chennai–Bengaluru
- Mumbai–Ahmedabad
- Mumbai–Pune
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2, 3 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q6. The seven high-speed rail corridors announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 are to be implemented exclusively through which one of the following bodies?
- A. Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL)
- B. National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL)
- C. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL)
- D. IRCON International Ltd
Q7. The proposed ~40-km underground rail corridor to strengthen the 'Chicken's Neck' (Siliguri) corridor connecting the Northeast falls under which one of the following railway zones?
- A. Eastern Railway
- B. East Central Railway
- C. Northeast Frontier Railway
- D. North Eastern Railway
Q8. How many stations are being built as part of the 125-km Rishikesh–Karnaprayag new rail line in Uttarakhand?
Q9. Consider the following statements regarding the early history of Indian Railways:
1. India's first passenger train (1853) ran from Bori Bunder to Thane.
2. This inaugural train was operated by the East Indian Railway Company.
3. After independence, the network was reorganised into six administrative zones in 1952.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- India's first passenger train (1853) ran from Bori Bunder to Thane.
- This inaugural train was operated by the East Indian Railway Company.
- After independence, the network was reorganised into six administrative zones in 1952.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. Which one of the following was the first railway line opened for passenger traffic in India, in 1853?
- A. Howrah–Hooghly
- B. Bori Bunder–Thane
- C. Royapuram–Wallajah Road (Madras)
- D. Delhi–Meerut
Q11. Consider the following statements about the National Rail Plan (NRP) 2030:
1. It aims to raise rail's share of freight traffic from about 27% to 45% by 2030.
2. It targets raising the average speed of freight trains to about 50 kmph.
3. Under Vision 2024, it aimed to upgrade speeds to 200 kmph on the Delhi–Howrah and Delhi–Mumbai routes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It aims to raise rail's share of freight traffic from about 27% to 45% by 2030.
- It targets raising the average speed of freight trains to about 50 kmph.
- Under Vision 2024, it aimed to upgrade speeds to 200 kmph on the Delhi–Howrah and Delhi–Mumbai routes.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q12. In the Union Budget 2026-27 (BE), the capital expenditure of Indian Railways met from budgetary support (gross budgetary support) is set to rise to approximately how much?
- A. ₹2.52 trillion
- B. ₹2.62 trillion
- C. ₹2.77 trillion
- D. ₹2.93 trillion