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
