Railway Budget 2013-14: Highlights

The Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has presented the much awaited railway budget for the fiscal 2013-14. The maiden railway budget of Mr. Bansal was passengers friendly, as there was no hike in the fares mentioned in the budget. But for Talkal or cacelling ticket would cost more for the passengers, as the minstry to cover the loss from these sources.

The fares were hiked in January 2013 by the Railway Ministry.

Introduced 67 Express Trains and 27 passenger train in the budget.

The last year’s railway budget was presented by former minister Dinesh Trivedi on March 2012, which focused to invest Rs.7.35 lakh crore in 12th Five year plan by railways.

In the Raiway Budget for 2013-14, 1.05 lah crore expenditure in the 12th Five Year Plan.

West Begal people have been disappointed with the railway budget. There is some special attention to Odisha state in this budget.

Citing the financial position, the railway minister told that the railway has repaid the loan of 3000 crore taken from the finance ministry.

Here are the highlights of Rail Budget 2013-14:
Railway has taken measures for Passenger Safety;
Try to work for zero train accidents;

13530 unmanned railway crossing present in India;

Plans to not add new level crossings;

Railway will upgrade tracks for the safety;

Rehabilitation for 17 distorted bridges by next year;

Women Passengers’ Security:
The Railways will create four more companies of Women Railway Protection Force

10% reservation for Women in recruitment of RPF;

Security Help Line numbers at Zonal Station to help women passengers;

Set up 8 Women Police Units;

Betterment of Sanitation and Cleanliness:
Will encourage bio-toilets in Trains,

Mechanized cleanliness in trains,

On-board housekeeping team in trains,

Facilities:

Free Wifi Connectivity in trains;

To avail First Aid facility at railway stations;

Special Coaches with All Amenities

“Anubhuti” named special coaches to be added to train, those will coach have all the facilities for the comfort of the passengers.

Special Attention towards Disabled Passengers:
For the comfort of disabled persons, the railways will install 179 escalations, 400 lists in railway stations;

Stations to be wheelchair friendly;



Adhar Card for Traveling

The Railways will use the data of Adhra card for various purposes, the minister had meeting with the UID chief Nandan Nekineni for this.

Internet/Online Booking Tickets:
Now the booking of ticket through online will be easy as the minister has been aiming to make it more effective user friendly.

1.20 lack users can book tickets through the IRCT website; currently 40,000 users have been able to book tickets simultaneously from the website.

Also working towards mobile ticketing;

Food Quality:
The railway has been taking to carter best quality food to passengers in trains.

Will consider for ISI certification of the vendor to carter food to passengers,

For grievances the Railway set up toll free number 1800 111 321 to complaint about the issues with the authorities.

Education for Youth to Know Freedom Movement:
Azadi Express – special trains to run across the state to educate youth and people about the freedom movement of India.

Freight Equations
India railways to join 1 billion freight club with China and Russia in the world;

Special Attention to North Eastern India:

For the first time the Arunachal Pradesh was brought into Indian Railway network ,

Railway infrastructure strengthened in Manipur.

Foot Over Bridge:
The Railways will be interested to work with the state governments over construction Foot Over Bridges near stations for the passengers.

Attention to Odisha

Special attention given to Odisha in the Railway budget, as the minister declared to set up Maintenance Workshop at Kalahandi. Wagaon Factroy in Ganjam district, a skill development centre in Koraput district.

Freedom Fighters Renewal:
The renewal of freedom fighters quota has been increased to 3 years , currently it was one year term.

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Rail Budget 2013-14: Bansal heads for Lok Sabha

Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal heads for Lok Sabha to present the Union Railway Budget for 2013-14. He will present the railway budget today in the Lok Sabha.

The people of India are waiting to see railway budget to be presented by the railway minister today. However, the Sesex shed over 75 points before the railway budget.

Read the last year's railway budget, here. 

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Rail Budget: Railways May Announce ‘Smart Surcharges’

The railways have no other way but to resort to levying ‘smart surcharge’ on the tickets, to cover up the loss of Rs. 3,300 crore because of the recent hike in the diesel prices. Railways used to pay Rs. 12,500 crore annually for diesel bills; this was before the hike in the diesel prices. Now, they will have to pay an additional Rs. 3,300 crores.

The rail ministry last month announced a hike for all classes, with an intention to recover Rs. 6,500 crores. But within some days, diesel prices were increased and this slashed nearly half of the additional revenue generated.

The hike may be in the form of a surcharge on Tatkal tickets, additional reservation charge, or on use of ‘clean toilets’ or clean stations surcharge, or additional reservation charge or hike may be even in the form of, nominal charges added to catering in all trains.

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Rail Budget 2012, fares hiked

Business News: The Railway Budget 2012 was presented by the Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday in the Parliament. As expected hike in the fares, the budget brought some change in the fares, which was no hiked for last seven years.

In the rail budget 2012-13 fares have been hiked for all the classes - sleeper, 3 tier AC, 2 tier AC and 1st class AC. The hike of fares are between two paise to 30 paise per kilometer of travel. And the passengers need to pay more their train journey.

Last year, Mamata Banerjee was the minister presented the last year railway budget without touching the fares. But this time the fares have been hiked aiming for better facilities.

The budget includes not only hike the fares but also aiming for better facilities across the country. The budget also aims to establish 100 stations across the country in five year through PPP.

In his budget speech the railway minister said that during the 12th five year plan period - 2012-17, the railways would invest Rs. 7.35 lakh crore.

There was mixed reaction over the presented railway budget, people expressed their views through news channels - seem not concerned with the hike that as expected, simultaneously asked for better facilities during their travel.

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Expectation from Railway Budget 2012-13?

Business News: All set to get another new railway budget 2012 and people have been expecting something new from the budget. Last railway budget carried no hike in the fare. This indicates is there any chances of fare being going up in the recent railway budget.



Considering the major rail accidents in 2011, more security measures should be considering at priority in the budget. Hope the budget may address some issues related to the security measures. It's fact that there are hardly do any policies to check accidents caused by human errors.

Businessmen using the railway transport always appeal for no hike in the fright, and the railway has been earning more from the fright. People hope the union budget and railway budget will be people friendly. And there will be more new trains to different destinations across the country.

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Rail Budget 2010-11, Mamata Banerjee : No Hike in Passengers fares and freight rate

Business News : The Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has tabled the Rail Budget 2010-11 in the Parliament. The Rail Budget was presented as assumed by the media and people, there was no hike in the passenger fares and freight rate. While presenting the budget in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee has proposed for 50 new trains including 10 non-stop trains.

Here are some of the Highlights :

• E-ticket counters at Universities,
• E-ticket counters at Panchayats,
• social Responsibility and No privatization,
• Cut of Rs 10 on the Service charge on sleeper,
• Cut of Rs 20 on the Service Chargeon AC,
• Cut of Rs 100/wagon on freight on foodgrains, kerosene,
• Mumbai to get 101 new suburban trains,
• Free travel for cancer patients,
• Women RPF for protection for women passengers,
• For investors the policies would be simplified,
• Invites domestic investments by PPP mode,
• 117 new trains to be started by March this year,

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Interim Railway Budget 2009-10 presented

Union Railway Minister Lalu Yadav presented the Interim Railway Budget 2009-10 on Friday in Parliament. It is the sixth consecutive Railway budget presented by Lalu Yadav.

Lalu declared cut of two per cent on all the fares and this a gift for the passengers. Lalu is know for the is populace budget and in this budget also he kept interest of common people. He said that the railway has earned surplus of Rs 90 thousand crores in five years.

24 new trains to be started and and the major declaration in the budget was the concept of bullet train. Minister said that feasibility over six bullet trains was being considered and a bullet train between Delhi to Patna may be the outcome in near future. It is the role of Lalu since 2004, he turned Railway corporation into a profit making institute.

Highlights of Interim Railway Budget:

• Railways to invest Rs 35,900 cr in '09
• Rs 10,500 cr kept aside to meet pension requirements
• Implementation of 6th Pay Commission to hike expense by Rs 13,500cr
• There has been a steep fall in container traffic
• Passenger growth up 14 per cent
• Passenger trains to have 22 per cent more capacity
• To hike efficiency of passenger and goods wagons
• Goods trains to have 78 per cent more capacity
• Steps to have railway connectivity to Kashmir initiated
• Rail accidents have fallen from 325 to 194 in past 5 yrs
• Railways to invest Rs 2.3 lakh cr over next 5 years
• Accidents have declined considerably
• Electrification of 1000 Km of rail lines completed in '08-'09
• Wagon production to be hiked from 6600 to 15000 per year
• Four Railway enquiry call centres set up
• 8 pc fright growth in past 5 years
• Railways in Nov '08 got 10 cr dollar loan at 4%

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Railway Budget 2008-09: Highlights

Last year, Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on 26 February 2008, here are the major highlights of the Union Railway Budget 2008-09:

• Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Indian Railways to collaborate on Mother-Child Health Express
• Railway examinations would be taken in Urdu in states with high percentage of Urdu speakers
• The railway tickets would be more easily accessible now
• Railway hospitals to be improved
• Multipurpose railway cards would be provided in Mumbai
• CFL lights to be used
• Display Boards would be provided for the express trains and the long distance mails
• Railway production center to be set up in Kerala
• Railway call centers by the year 2009
• Easier acquisition of land for developmental purposes
• The Rajdhani and Satabdi express trains would be maintained by private companies
• 53 trains to be introduced in the next year
• 30 major stations would have multilevel parking facilities
• Routes of a number of trains to be increased
• 50 major stations would have escalators and lifts
• Special Commonwealth games trains to be run from Delhi to Pune
• The low level platforms would be brought up to the standards of the medium level and high level platforms
• Tickets to have possible arrival times printed on them
• Specific line for purposes of transporting coal
• Private companies would be allowed to make terminals
• The Automatic Signalling System would be expanded
• Fares in second class compartments to go down by 5%
• More tickets on the Internet
• Fares in 3A compartments to go down by 3%
• Terminals to have better amenities and twenty four hour freight handling facilities
• Fares in 1A compartments to go down by 7%
• 40 new contained depots by the coming year
• Fares in 2A compartments to go down by 4%
• Specific freight corridors
• Freights of diesel and petrol to go down by 5%
• New and improved coaches in Satabdi and Rajdhani
• 6% reduction in freight charges in the Northeastern parts of India
• Coal, cement, steel and container freight would go up in the next year
• No lines for tickets by the next two years
• Better information system for travelers
• Rs 4000 crores allocated for installing green toilets in trains
• The stations at Delhi, Mumbai and Patna stations to be helped for attaining global standards
• 10 new trains for Bihar
• Safety measures would be increased to prevent accidents
• Students and women to get concessions
• Number of unmanned level-crossings to go down
• An increased number of trains would function on electricity in the Northern part of India
• Senior citizens to enjoy 30% concessions

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