Union Railway Budget - 2008-09
Union Railway Minister Lalu Yadav presented the Railway Budget for 2008-09 in Parliament on Tuesday.
Following are the highlights:
* Railway profit in 2007-08 at Rs 25,000 crore.
* 100 mn tonne business from cement industry 200 mn target targeted till 2011
* 560 railway station platforms to be lengthened to take long trains.
* By 2009 call centre based inquiry services to be unveiled.
* Doubling of lines to be given priority.
* E-ticket booking is likely to rise to 300,000 from 100,000 in a year.
* Freight traffic target of 785 million tonnes crossed to touch 790 million tones
* Issuance of wait-listed e-tickets will also allowed
* Middle-level and low-level platforms to be upgraded to high-level platforms in several stations to help commuters.
* More facilities for women and old passengers.
* Professional agencies being involved on a pilot basis to ensure cleanliness in running trains.
* Railway Minister Lalu Yadav announced that Indian Railways will introduce 15,000 ticketing counters in the next 2 years.
* Railway plan size increased from Rs 11,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore in the last four years.
* Railways planning smart card-based ticketing system.
* Rs 49,250 crore invested into new railway projects.
* Sleeper, II class fares cut 5%
* The Railways plans to offer tickets through mobile phones.
* Work on automatic signalling to start in new sections.
* 20,000 freight wagons to be introduced
* 20,000 km high-density network for iron ore and coal sector
* Bulk handling terminals for cement and foodgrains
* Public address systems in trains
* Pvt investment for loading terminals on railway property
* Rajdhani, Shatapdi to get modern coaches
* Rs 5 cr registration fee to lease a wagon
* 1 lakh crore worth of PPP (Public Private Partnerships) planned over the next 5 years
* 10 Garib Raths in FY09
* 233 million ton loading was done in the year
* 30 Bigger stations to have multi level parking system
* 50 big terminals planned in Mumbai, Pune, Ghaziabad
* 50 large stations to have lifts / escalators- for convenience of senior citizens
* 50 new terminals to be developed for storage
* 60 yrs and older passengers get 30% discount, female above 60 get 50% discount
* 75000 cr in next 7 yrs to further develop saturated transportation lines
* Additional earnings of Rs 2000 cr on freight service
* Annual steel traffic aim of 200 mt in 2011 vs 120 mt now
* Anti-fire gear to cost Rs 7,000 cr if pilot successful
* By 2009 call centre based inquiry services to be unveiled.
* By 2010, all coaches will be made of steel.
* CCTVs and metal detectors to be put up at all stations
* Cleanliness drive on rajdhani and shatabdi trains.
* Dividend of Rs 88 rupees
* Fares for AC-I cut by 7%, AC-II 4%, AC-III 3%
* Freight on fuels cut 5%
* FY08 rail operating ratio at 76.3%
* 'Go Mumbai' card to be sold at bus depots.
* Group-D railway examinations to be taken in Urdu also, where it is the second language
* Have 15 licensed operators for container trains
* Issuance of wait-listed e-tickets will also allowed
* Low mainenance and more comfortable stainless steel coaches to be introduced from 2010
* Middle-level and low-level platforms to be upgraded to high-level platforms in several stations to help commuters.
* Modular toilets to be introduced in trains.
* Mother-Child Healthcare Express to be run in alliance with Rajiv Gandhi Foundation
* New Bulk handling facilities to be erected for cement
* New coaches in all Rajdhani trains by 2010-11
* No busy season surcharge for bulk cement transport via new facilities
* Online information display in overnight trains of long distance
* Plan fire prevention device in coaches on pilot basis
* Plan to set up 20,000 km high density network
* Railway plan size increased from Rs 11,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore in the last four years.
* Railway property to fetch 4000 crore in 2008-09
* Railways adopted tariff to up market share; revenue
* Railways show a surplus of rs 68,778 cr in last four years.
* Railways will look at leveraging telecom boom for ticketing
* Revenue from passenger fares increased by 14%
* Rs 250,000 cr worth of funds required by the Railways over the next 5 years for IT upgradation
* Rs 4000 cr to be spent on 36000 coaches for greent toilets in next 5 year plan
* Rs 49,250 crore invested into new railway projects.
* Rs 68788 cr for 5 years cash surplus
* SBUs (Strategic Business Unit) planned for cement, steel, coal, container sectors
* Special focus on door to door and value added services
* SPV for links to Mundra, Kandla, Krishnapatnam ports
* To have online control of trains in 2 years
* To increase container train operators to 50-55 trains
* To link trains via software communication by 2009
* To manufacture 20000 wagons in 2008-09
* To start 53 new passenger trains
* To start making steel coaches from FY09
* To up auto ticket sale machines to 6,000 in 2 years
* To upgrade infrastructure in 7 years at Rs 75,000 cr
* Will look at multi model parks for Railways at various locations