Highlights of the Railway Budget

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Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee presented the rail budget on Friday. The minister announced a slew of new initiatives as part of the budget.

Here are the highlights of Railway Budget 2009-10:

- Need to have social view on rail projects

- Committed to cause of underprivileged

- Economic viability of projects not key concern

- Railways to set example of inclusive growth

- Need innovative socially-viable project funding

- Need to expand rail network for development

- Concerned over deterioration in passenger service

- Availability of 'Janata Khaana' to be ensured

- To develop 50 world-class stations

- Priority is passenger security, services, catering

- To develop 50 world class stations via public-private partnership

- Social viability must substitute economic viability

- World-class stations in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata

- World-class stations also in Nagpur, Sealdah

- World-class stations also in Jaipur, Lucknow

- To build multi-functional complexes at 50 stations

- 375 stations will be developed into 'ideal stations'

- Facilities for elderly, physically challenged

- To depute doctor in each long-distance train

- Source: Likely to introduce 67 new trains

- On-board infotainment services in Rajdhani, Shatabdi trains

- To cover 200 new towns

- 200 new towns to have passenger reservation services

- Source: May launch AC train for low income group, youth

- To expand unreserved ticket terminal to 8,000

- E-ticketing to be enhanced, simplified

- To facilitate ticket sales from 5,000 post offices

- To introduce 50 mobile rail ticket vans

- Source: Likely to set up 1,000 MW power plant

- Introducing inter-city, double-decker AC coaches

- Safety is first priority

- Source: May launch new reservation scheme for Tatkal

- To give automated ticket vending services at 200 stations

- To re-look railway's, states' revenue share for bridges

- Drawn up new security plan for 140 stations

- To increase number of women RPF commandos

- Scholarship proposed for staff's girl child

- To set up medical colleges at rail hospitals via PPP

- To focus on signal modernisation

- Metro rail hospital at Tollygunj to be upgraded

- Recruitment process to be reviewed shortly

- National sportspersons preferred in Recruitment

- To form expert panel for rail optic fibre network

- To acquire 18,000 wagons in FY10

- Burn Standards, Braithwaite units buy completion soon

- To give pvt siding nod for freight carriage

- Private ops of freight terminal to be encouraged

- Plan warehouses to curb wastage of perishable freight

- To launch superfast parcel services

- Superfast parcel services to include Delhi, Howrah

- Done viability study for four dedicated freight corridors

- Viability study for four new dedicated freight corridors

- To use rail land bank for industrial purpose

- To speed up work on Rae Bareli coach factory

- To set up new coach factory at Kachrapara, Bengal

- Kanchrapara unit to make 500 coaches per year

- Railways loaded 833 mln tn cargo FY09

- Interim Budget targets unrealistic on econ slowdown

- Downward correction in FY10 performance target

- Target to carry 882 million tonne freight FY10

- To retain ordinary spend of Rs 629 billion in FY10

- FY10 working expense at Rs 816.65 billion

- See FY10 operating ratio at 92.5%

- To launch uniform-priced monthly ticket of Rs 25

- "Izzat scheme" for those earning up to Rs 1,500 per month

- Uniform-price ticket plan for up to 100 km

- 50% concession for accredited journalists, spouse

- Madarassa students to get concessional fares

- Local ladies specials at Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi

- New non-stop train services to be introduced

- To start 12 non-stop intercity AC trains

- 12 new non-stop trains to be introduced

- Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Delhi-Howrah non-stop trains

- Delhi-Chennai, Delhi-Allahabad non-stop trains

- Sealdah-Delhi, Delhi-Pune non-stop trains

- To launch 57 new trains

- Target mechanised maintenance of 3,500 km in FY10

- Recruitment drive to fill up SC/ST hiring backlog

- Pitroda to head panel for optic fibre cable network

- Aim for Rs 54.79 billion dividend in FY10

- New policy planned for multi-model logistics park

- Rs 50 billion increase in budgetary support FY10

- Issue of tax-free bonds by IRFC approved

- Allocation for new lines raised to Rs 29.2 billion