Railway Budget highlights

By Special Correspondent on Fri, 26/02/2016 - 12:47

Highlights of Railway Budget presented to Parliament by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday

No new train for Kerala. No hike in fares
Reduction in Trivandrum-Delhi travel time by 6 hours
Priority provision of passenger amenities at pilgrimage centres including Chengannur
Suburban service planned from Thiruvananthapuram to be taken up in collaboration with Kerala Government
Allocations: Rs. 600 crore for Nanjencode-Nilambur lane; Rs. 400 crore for Kannur-Mattannur lane.
Marginal allocation of Rs. 20 crore for Sabari rail and Rs. 29 crore for Trivandrum-Kanyakumari lane
Ring railway system for Delhi, partnering with Delhi Government
Anthyoda Express (long distance) for common man without reservation facility.
Deen dayal (unreserved) coaches in some long distance trains
Quota/coach for senior citizens to be increased by 50% resulting in almost 120 lower berths/train for them.
33 per cent of the seats will be set apart for women
Humsafar Train Service: fully air conditioned, third AC service with an optional service for meals
Railway Board to be reconstituted on business lines
Bar-coded tickets to be introduced
Rs. 40000 to be spent for starting coach factories
National rail plan to be drawn up. Capacity of e-ticketing system to the enhanced
Time Tabled Freight Container /Parcel Train to be Started this Year
Baby food, milk to be made available in trains for babies.
Two new engine factories to be set up
Overnight double deckers to be introduced
Wifi in 400 more stations in two years
Reserved tickets will be available on demand by 2020
Proposal to invite fm radio stations to provide train-borne entertainment by installing pa systems
1600 km of line to be electrified this year.
2500 km of broad gauge lines to be commissioned next year
Commissioning of railway lines to be speeded up
Elimination of unmanned level crossings planned by 2020
Salary expenditure up by 32.9% Revenue increased by 11 per cent only.
Capital expenditure will go up exponentially
Revenue enhancement through innovative means planned.
Railways will explore new sources of revenue; will improve efficiency
65,000 Additional Berths and 17,000 Bio Toilets to be Installed
Operations Audit to Improve Punctuality of trains Proposed
Stations to be Developed Under PPP Mode
Award of Civil Contracts for Dedicated Freight Corridor to be Over by the end of this Financial Year
Nargol- Hazira Port Connectivity to be taken up under PPP Mode