Railway Budget Highlights - 2012-13

A progressive railway budget - indeed!

The Railway Minister Mr. Dinesh Trivedi has delivered a forward looking budget, which has the potential to fastrack the Railways from a loss making entity to a profitable one. With the fare hike likely to be withdrawn, and a clear emphasis on project development with public-private partnerships, internal bickerings within the Railways need to die down, and the greater good aimed at.

An over-estimation of revenues and under-estimation of expenditure for the next year is a bold move. Although the estimate might never materialise, aiming high is better than lying low and doing nothing.

Here are the highlights of the Union Railway Budget 2012-13:

• Passenger fares increased marginally. The increase will be by 2 paise per km for suburban and ordinary second class; 3 paise per km for mail/express second class; 5 paise per km for sleeper class; 10 paise per km for AC Chair Car, AC 3 tier and First Class; 15 paise per km for AC 2 tier and 30 paise per km for AC I.

• Minimum fare and platform tickets to cost Rs. 5.

• 50% concession in fare in AC-2, AC-3, Chair Car & Sleeper classes to patients suffering from ‘Aplastic Anaemia’ and ‘Sickle Cell Anaemia’.

• Extending the facility of travel by Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains to Arjuna Awardees.

• Travel distance under ‘Izzat Scheme’ to increase from 100 kms to 150 kms.

• SMS on passenger mobile phone in case of e-ticket to be accepted as proof of valid reservation.

• Introduction of satellite based real time train information system (SIMRAN) to provide train running information to passengers through SMS, internet, etc.

• On board passenger displays indicating next halt station and expected arrival time to be introduced.

• Installation of 321 escalators at important stations of which 50 will be commissioned in 2012-13.

• Introduction of regional cuisine at affordable rates; launching of Book-a-meal scheme to provide multiple choice of meals through SMS or email.

• Introduction of coin/currency operated ticket vending machines.

• Upgradation of 929 stations as Adarsh Stations including 84 stations proposed in 2012-13; 490 stations have been completed so far.

• Specially designed coaches for differently-abled persons to be provided in each Mail/Express trains.

• Introduction of Rail Bandhu on-board magazines on Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and Duronto trains.

• Setting up of AC Executive lounges at important stations

• 75 new Express trains to be introduced.

• 21 new passenger services, 9 DEMU services and 8 MEMU services to be introduced.

• Run of 39 trains to be extended.

• Frequency of 23 trains to be increased.

• 75 additional services to run in Mumbai suburban; 44 new suburban services to be introduced in Kolkata area, 50 new services to be introduced in Kolkata Metro; 18 additional services in Chennai area.

• 725 km new lines, 700 km doubling, 800 km gauge conversion and 1,100 km electrification targeted in 2012-13.

• Rs 6,872 cr provided for new lines, Rs 3,393 cr for doubling, Rs 1,950 cr for gauge conversation, Rs 828 cr for electrification

• Highest ever plan outlay of Rs. 60,100 cr

• Rae Bareli coach factory manufactured 10 coaches in 2011-12; phase-II of the factory would be commissioned in 2012-13.

• A wagon factory to be set up at Sitapali (Ganjam District of Odisha)

• A rail coach factory with the support of Government of Kerala to be set up at Palakkad; two additional new manufacturing units for coaches to be established in the Kutch area in Gujarat and at Kolar in Karnataka with active participation of the State Governments.

• Setting up of a factory at Shyamnagar in West Bengal to manufacture next generation technology propulsion system for use in high power electric locomotives.

• Creating Missions as recommended by Pitroda Committee to implement the modernization programme.

• Setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority to be considered.

• New Board Members for Safety/Research and PPP/Marketing to be inducted.

• Rail-Road Grade Separation Corporation to be set up to eliminate level crossings.

• Indian Railway Station Development Corporation to be set up to redevelop stations through PPP mode.

• Logistics Corporation to be set up for development & management of existing railway goods sheds and multi-modal logistics parks.

• National High Speed Rail Authority to be set-up.

• Pre-feasibility studies on six high speed corridors already completed; study on Delhi-Jaipur-Ajmer-Jodhpur to be taken up in 2012-13.

• Introduction of a ‘Green Train’ to run through the pristine forests of North Bengal.

• Setting up of 200 remote railway stations as ‘green energy stations’ powered entirely by solar energy.

• Providing solar lighting system at 1,000 manned level crossing gates.

• 2,500 coaches to be equipped with bio toilets.

• Setting up of 72 MW capacity windmill plants in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

• Installation of Integrated Security System at all 202 identified stations to be completed in 2012-13.

• Escorting of trains by RPF/GRP extended to 3,500 trains.

• Integration of RPF helpline with the All India Passenger Helpline.

• Setting up of a Railway Safety Authority as a statutory regulatory body as recommended by Kakodkar Committee

• . Three ‘Safety Villages’ to be set up at Bengaluru, Kharagpur and Lucknow for skill development for disaster management.

• Over one lakh persons to be recruited in 2012-13 – backlog of SC/ST/OBC and other categories to be wiped off.

• Introduction of a wellness programme for railway staff at their work places.

• Ensuring proper rest for skilled and technical staff including the running crew.

• Institution of ‘Rail Khel Ratna’ Award for 10 rail sports-persons every year.

• New coaching terminal at Naihati, the birth place of Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay commemorating him on 175th Birth Anniversary.

• .Project to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh to be taken up in 2012-13.

• Freight loading of 1,025 MT targeted; 55 MT more than 2011-12

• Passenger growth targeted at 5.4 %.