Friends,
Today March 14, 2012, the Railway Budget has been presented by the Railway Minister Dinesh Tiwari. After ten years there is a surprise measure of hiking of Railway Fares. The increase would be between 2 to 30 paisa per kilometer across various passenger classes. A 30 paisa per kilometer fare hike has been proposed for AC first class travellers.
The highlights of Railway Budget 2012
- 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 per cent concession in fare in AC-2, AC-3, Chair Car and 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 and 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 per cent.
The Indian Railways, which runs the third largest railroad network in the world, has around 7,083 stations on 64,000 km route with 12,000 passenger and 7,000 freight trains. It ferries 23 million travellers and 2.65 million tonnes of goods daily.
