Railway Budget: Ticket booking rates reduced, more concessions for women

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Feb 25: Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is presenting the Rail Budget 2011-12 in Lok Sabha.

 

 

In a move to attract passengers from higher strata of the society, Mamata announced that the Railways will introduce new Super AC class of travel beginning this year.

She also announced a reduction in e-ticket booking rates by Rs 10 for AC class and Rs 5 for non-AC class.

Further, she said the age for concession under senior citizen category for women is being reduced from 60 years to 58 years.

Mamata began the speech by telling Parliament that this year’s Rail Budget has a strong economic focus as well as social inclusion with human face. The main focus is on common man, she added.

The minister said the focus this year will also be on passenger safety. She announced anti-collision devices will be installed in more zones this year. Mamata also said the Railways will build 175 ROBs this year.

In an important announcement, Mamata proposed two new projects and two new trains each for states where trains run trouble free.

Rail Budget Highlights

# Strong economic focus with social inclusion
# Main focus on common man – urban, small town and rural
# Two pronged approach
# Rail services comparable to emergency services
# 85 proposals received under PPP mode
# We are aware of acute sense of social responsibility
# Set up Rail based industries
# Wagon factory in Orissa
# Will set up Rail coach factory in Palakkad, Kerala
# Component factory in Chertala, Kerala
# Tunnel & bridge engineering institute in Jammu
# Railways introduced new infrastructure policies
# Railway to set up Bridge factory in J&K
# Diesel Locomotive Factory in Manipur
# Centre of excellence in software in Darjeeling
# Track-machine industry to be set up in Uluberia, West Bengal
# Rail industrial park in Jalpaiguri and Nandigram, in West Bengal
# Rail industrial park in New Bongaigaon, Assam
# First coach from the new rail factory at Rae Bareli to roll out in next three months
# Proposal to set up metro coach factory near Singur in West Bengal
# A 700 MW gas based power plant to be set up at Thakurli, Maharashtra
# Track-machine industry to be set up in Uluberia, West Bengal
# Sukhi Ghar Yojna: 10,000 shelters for the poor
# New rail line capacity to be increased to 700 kms
# 474 kms for doubling
# PM Rail Vikas Yojna will include all the rail projects under the 12th Plan
# Gas based power plant in Thakurli, near Mumbai
# Focus on safety
# 1,500 trains cancelled, 3,500 re-scheduled last year due to protests, other reasons
# Stop rail rook agitations
# Anti-collision devices to be commissioned in three Railway zones including South and South Central soon
# 175 ROBs this year
# Two new projects and two new trains for states where trains run trouble free
# Real time train operation system developed in association with IIT Kanpur
# Dedicated eight corridor on track
# Double decker container trains from Gujarat to inland port in Gurgaon
# 2011 declared as green year
# Go India smart card on pilot basis – single window facility for buying tickets for long distance, Metro etc
# Rail yatri sevak service – trolly service in major metros
# New Super AC Class of travel to be introduced
# e-ticket booking rates to be reduced by Rs 10 for AC class and Rs 5 for non-AC class
# Age for concession under senior citizen category for women reduced from 60 to 58 years
# Rail accident rate has declined from 0.29% last year to 0.17% now
# To meet the demand for coaches, rail based industries to be set up under Vision 2020
# One core committee to monitor Kolkata Metro project
# 34 new services for Kolata Metro this year
# Survey for more lines to expand Metro network
# Integrated suburban rail network to be developed in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Kolkata
# Enthused by the high number of medals in international sports competitions won by Railways
# A Sports Cadre will be set up in the department
# Restructuring of all cadres being undertaken in the Railways
# Six new suburban projects for Hyderabad
# 47 additional suburban service for Mumbai
# Trains to be 12 car from present 9 cars
# New suburban services for Chennai and Kolkata too
# Peak time local trains: Bardmann to Howrah, Hyderabad-Faluknama, Delhi-Ghaziabad

New Trains

# Durantos: Allahabad-Mumbai, Pune-Ahmedabad, Sealdah-Puri, Secunderabad-Vishakhapatnam, Madurai-Chennai, Chennai-Trivandrum, Mum-Delhi, Delhi-Ajmer
# Double decker AC trains: Jaipur to Delhi, Ahmedabad to Mumbai
# Mumabi-Howrah – four day; Sealdah-Delhi – 5 days; Nagpur-Mumbai – 5days

Employees & Recruitment

# Medical facility for dependent father and mother
# Child education scholarship of Rs 1200
# Restructuring of all cadres to ensure promotion opportunities
# Steps to fill all vacant posts
# 16000 ex-servicemen to be inducted into Railways Training
# New training centre in Kolkata, Dharwad and Pune
# New international training centre in Agra
# Five new polytechnics, including in Bhilai and Dharwad

Financials

# Facing difficulties due to Sixth Pay Commission expenditure
# Operating ratio at 95.3%
# Rs 3700 cr saved by austerity measures
# Earnings are set to exceed Rs 1 lakh crore mark
# To borrow Rs 205.9 bn in 2011-12
# India Railways to issue tax-free bonds of Rs 10,000 cr in 2011-12
# To spend Rs 576.3 bn in 2011-12

 

Mamata’s sops for Karnataka


Mysore-Chennai to get a new train

Mysore- Bangalore to get a new train

Charan Bhoomi express, dedicated to students, on Bangalore, Mysore, Hassan, and Hubli Gadag sectors

New Hampi-Gadag Train

Howrah to Yeshwanthpur- five times a week

New coach factory to be set up in Kolar through PPP or JV model

New Bangalore-Bangarpet express

Bangalore-Dharmavaram express

New train between Erunakulam-Bangalore

Ahmedabad-Chennai train to run via Hubli