Railway Budget 2009-10 : Highlights

Ø NO INCREASE IN PASSENGER FARE AND FREIGHT TARIFF

Ø BUDGET TO HAVE INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND EXPANSION OF RAILWAY NETWORK TO EVERY CORNER OF THE COUNTRY

Ø PLAN OUTLAY OF RS.40,745 CR. PROPOSED FOR 2009-2010,

Ø PASSENGER AMENITIES GET HIGH PRIORITY, TO GET 119% INCREASE

Ø TRAFFIC RECEIPTS DURING 2008-09 INCREASE BY 11.4 % WHILE FREIGHT LOADING GREW @ 5%

Ø SPECIAL TRAINS FOR PERISHABLE FARM PRODUCE, FACILITIES FOR TRANSPORTATION OF RURAL CRAFT

Ø WORKS FOR 7 NEW LINES, GAUGE CONVERSION OF 17 LINES AND DOUBLING OF 13 LINES TO BE TAKEN UP

Ø FASTER PARCEL SERVICES PROPOSED ON THREE ROUTES

Ø TATKAL SCHEME TO BE MADE PASSENGER FRIENDLY

Ø RAILWAY TICKETS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH POST OFFICES AND ‘MUSHKIL AASAAN’ MOBILE VANS

Ø CONCESSION FOR PRESS PERSONS INCREASED TO 50%

Ø MONTHLY TICKET OF RS. 25/- FOR UNORGANIZED SECTOR/POOR UNDER ‘IZZAT’ SCHEME

Ø “ONLY LADIES’ EMU TRAINS AT DELHI, KOLKATA AND CHENNAI

Ø ‘YUVA TRAINS’ FROM RURAL HINTERLAND TO METROS AT CONCESSIONAL FARE

Ø 12 NEW POINT-TO-POINT ‘DURANTO’ TRAINS

Ø 57 NEW TRAINS, EXTENSION OF 27 TRAINS AND INCREASE IN FREQUENCY OF 13 TRAINS AND AIR-CONDITIONED DOUBLE-DECKER TRAINS PROPOSED

Ø 50 STATIONS TO BE UPGRADED TO WORLD CLASS STATIONS

Ø LONG DISTANCE TRAINS TO HAVE ON-BOARD DOCTORS AND INFOTAINMENT SERVICES

Ø HANDICAPPED AND AGED PERSONS TO HAVE MORE AMENITIES

Ø SPECIAL FUND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EAST RAILWAY

Ø QUAZIGUND-ANANTNAG LINE TO BE COMPLETED BY NEXT MONTH

Ø 6560 RAILWAY STAFF QUARTERS TO BE CONSTRUCTED AND GROUP ‘D’ EMPLOYEES TO GET SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THEIR GIRL CHILD

Ø RAILWAYS TO COME OUT WITH WHILE PAPER ON FINANCIAL STATUS AND VISION-2020 DOCUMENT

Source : Press Information Bureau