Here are highlights of Rail Budget 2008 - 2009
India.
Railway Budget 2008 - 2009 India
Having a mammoth infrastructure connecting even the
smallest of villages in India, the Indian Railways caters to the
commuting need of near about 13 million passengers on a daily basis.
Impacting so many lives both directly and indirectly in India, it is no
surprise that all Indians are agog when Union Railway Minister, Lalu
Prasad Yadav has to present the Railway Budget in the Indian Parliament
every year. The current term is no exception. As such, here is a
highlight of the Indian Railway Budget 2008-09 that was introduced by
the Union railway minister in the Parliament on Tuesday (26 February
2008).
Highlight of the Indian Railway Budget 2008-09
- Rail Minister cuts 2nd class, AC fares
- The Indian Railway profit in 2007-08 stands at Rs 25,000 Crore.
- Specialized agencies being roped in on a pilot basis to make sure
there is cleanliness in the running trains.
- Work to introduce automatic signaling to begin in new segments.
- Indian Railways to introduce led displays on train arrivals and
exit in railway stations.
- Coaches made of stainless steel will be introduced for mail and
express trains.
- Cleanliness drives to be taken up on Rajdhani as well as Shatabdi
trains.
- Indian Railways has earned a surplus of Rs 68,778 Crore in last
four years.
- Indian Railways to install escalators at half of all stations in
the country.
- Indian Railways (IR) will set up around 15,000 ticketing counters
over the next two years in the country. The IR also plans to provide
tickets via mobile / cell phones.
- By the year 2009, call centre based inquiry services will be
initiated.
- Wait-listed e-tickets will be permitted to be issued
- The operating ratio of the Indian Railways was at 76 per cent.
- The new railway projects have witnessed an investment of Rs
49,250 Crore.
- In the past four years, the railway plan size boosted from Rs
11,000 Crore to Rs 30,000 Crore.
- Efficiency or productivity of Railway assets has been
persistently rising.
- The Indian Railways achieved the 790 tonne payload target in the
year 2007-08.
- E-ticket booking is expected to increase to 300,000 from 100,000
within a year.
- Freight traffic target of 785 million tonnes surpassed to reach
790 million tones.
- The Indian Railway plan size rose from Rs 11,000 Crore to Rs
30,000 Crore in the past four years.
- As many as 560 railway station platforms to be extended to
accommodate long trains.
- Middle-level as well as low-level platforms to be upgraded to
high-level platforms in various railway stations in India to help
commuters.
- Mother Child Health Express to be started
- Modular toilets to be introduced in train coaches.
- Bus depots to sell 'Go Mumbai' cards.
- Ten new Garib Raths and 53 new trains to be started.
- Senior citizens to get thirty per cent discount for rail travel
whereas 50 per cent discount for women passengers in all classes.
