surf india

Rail Budget Highlights

Rail Budget Highlights Live Speech Rail Budget Updates Rail Budget Review

Lalu Prasad Yadav has presented his much-awaited Railways Budget 2008-2009. As his earlier budgets this time too he has presented a people-friendly rail budget which has generated a general positive sense in the public. Here are the highlights of Rail Budget 08-09.

Rail Budget Highlights

Fare Cut

  • - Second class fares slashed by 5% beyond 50 km
  • - Third AC fares reduced by 3%
  • - II AC fares down by 4%
  • - I AC fares cut by 7%
  • - 5% reduction in petrol, diesel freight

New Trains

  • - Special train between Pune-Delhi for Commonwealth in Oct
  • - Saharsha- Janasadharan Expess weekly
  • - Malda-Patna Express tri-weekly
  • - Amritsar-Kochuveli Express weekly
  • - Ahmedabad-Patan Express daily
  • - Amritsar-Kochuveli Express weekly
  • - Ahmedabad-Patan Express daily
  • - Chennai-Salem train daily
  • - Ranchi-Bhagalpur new train tri-weekly

Train Frequency Increased

  • - New Delhi-Jammu Tawi Express to run daily
  • - Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani to run tri-weekly

Infrastructure

  • - Online control of trains in two yrs
  • - Use of IT communications by 2009
  • - Rajdhani and Shatabdi Exprress trains to have LHB coaches. This would enhance speed and comfort.
  • - Only stainless steel coaches to be produced after 2010
  • - Professtional agencies to undertake on board cleaning system in every Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Mail and Superfast trains
  • - Low level and medium level platform in B category stations to be converted to high level platforms. This to be followed in other stations
  • - All D level stations to have platform shelter
  • - 30 big stations to have multilevel parking
  • - Selected stations to have lift and escalators

Freight

  • - Attained 790 tonne payload target
  • - FreiWagon turnaround takes to a profit of Rs 233 cr
  • - 3000 new bogies added to freight trains
  • - Uncoaching earning goes to 4000 cr
  • - Shipping and road transport companies permitted to run dedicated trains
  • - Freight loading increased by 10%
  • - Freight income target new Rs 440,000 cr
  • - Uncoaching target of 20,000 cr
  • - Freight loading in a decade increases by 160%
  • - 1000 mn tonnes target for freight loading
  • - Special fund for coal and steel corridor
  • - Infrastructure Development

Plans

  • - Automatic signalling system to be introduced in Ghaziabad-Kanpur and Nagpur-Gondia section
  • - Survey of Kota-Bina line
  • - Double track on Raipur-Titlagarh

Facilities

  • - TV, Internet services on trains in future
  • - Railway to be callcenterised.
  • - Control centers and call centers to have online linking
  • - New system online coach display board by March 09 in all Mail Express trains, which will show the next station and the time remaining
  • - A category stations to have LED displays
  • - B category stations equipped with display systems
  • - All trains to have green toilets by the end of next 5 year plan.
  • - Smard Card service for suburban trains in Mumbai
  • - Destination time to be mentioned in tickets

Balance Sheet

  • - Profit of Rs 25,000 crore for FY08
  • - Freight services raises additional 20,000 cr earned
  • - Rail Plan hikes from 11,000 cr to 33,000 cr
  • - Rs 49,250 crores as investment on new projects
  • - 76% operating ratio