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Highlights of Railway Budget for 2009-10

NEW DELHI — Amid expectations of improvement in railway amenities, railway minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday presented the 15th Railway Budget in the Parliament. She arrived in parliament on her personal Maruti Zen instead of the official car alloted to her. Breaking away from the ‘briefcase’ tradition she brought the budget papers in a jhola (cloth-bag).

Highlights of Railway Budget for 2009-10

• No hike in passenger fares, freight charges
• Rs 1,102 crore allocated towards improving passenger amenities
• 57 new trains to be introduced.
• 12 non-stop trains to be introduced.
• Kolkata metro to be extended
• Rs 50 billion increase in budgetary support in 2009-10
• Freight target for 2009-10 set at 882 million tonnes
• Freight cargo increased 5% in 2008-09
• Rs 25 monthly pass for unorganised sector employees with income below Rs 1,500 for travel up to 100 km
• Availability of doctors on-board long-distance trains.
• New “Yuva” fully air-conditioned train for youth
• Yuva fares Rs 299 up to a distance of 1,500 km and Rs 399 up to 2,500 km
• Student concession to be extended to madarssa students
• Student concession of 60 percent on Kolkata Metro
• Introduction of trains for women during peak seasons
• New train information system to be started in Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi
• 50 mobile rail ticket vans to be introduced
• ATMs on 200 mid and small-sized stations
• Integrated security scheme for 140 vulnerable stations
• Special recruitment drive for the physically challenged, minorities
• Committee under Sam Pitroda to commercialise railways’ optic fibre network
• Private operation of freight terminals to be encouraged
• New factory in West Bengal for making 500 state-of-the-art coaches annually
• “Janta khana” (peoples’ food) to be provided at railway stations
• Railways will not be guided by economic viability, but by social commitment
• Seven nursing colleges to provide employment to railway spouses
• Medical colleges proposed to be opened through public-private partnership model
• Cold storages and cargo facilities to eliminate wastage of perishables
• 50 world class stations to be developed on public-private partnership model
• 309 out of 375 stations will be developed with modern facilities
• 50 stations at tourist, religious places to have integrated facilities
• Infotainment facilities on Rajdhani Express for long distance passengers
• Unreserved ticketing systems to be expanded from 5,000 to 8,000 terminals
• Passengers can buy unreserved tickets at 5,000 post offices
• Air-conditioned double-decker trains for inter-city travel
• SMS updates for wait-listed passengers
• 200 automatic vending machines at key stations for selling tickets
• 6,560 staff quarters to be constructed in 2009-10.
• High-capacity double-decker A/C trains to be introduced.
• Discount for accredited journalists increased from 30 to 50%
• Discount of 60% on fare if press correspondents travel with spouse
• 1,000 MW power plant proposed in tribal area Adra.
• Cash surplus of Rs 17,400 crore before dividend.
• Railways have investible surplus of Rs 12,681 crore.
• Annual plan expenditure pegged at Rs 36,336 crore.