Monday, February 26, 2007

Railway Budget

What is in for Nashikites?
  • Nashik Pune train in new list of trains
  • Internet Booking prices Slages
  • 20% reduction in Super Fast Fare so a very nominal Fare reduction in Panchvati Train
  • AC Fares Reduced
  • Some new amenities announced for Older People and women

The Highlights from rediff.com

Passenger fares to be slashed for air-conditioned and higher classes; no hike in second-class rail fares.
Passenger fares cut by 4 per cent for sleeper class rail travel.
AC Ist class fares reduced by 6 per cent in lean season and by 3 per cent in peak season.
Re 1 cut in daily non-suburban train fares.
For AC two-tier, the busy season reduction is 2 per cent and lean season 4 per cent.
He also lowered fares for all classes of high capacity new design reserved coaches which would be 4 per cent for AC three-tier and AC chair car in busy season and 8 per cent in lean season.
In sleeper class, the fare-reduction would be 4 per cent in all seasons.
Superfast charge on second class tickets has been reduced by 20 per cent from Rs 10 to Rs 8, he said.
Prasad announced introduction of tourist ticket in Mumbai suburban services with facility for unlimited travel.
Freight rates unchanged; .petrol, diesel freight rates cut by 5 per cent, freight on minerals cut by 6 per cent.
The railway minister announced that discounts for the busy season shall be applicable in popular trains throughout the year.
He brought down charges for e-tickets booked on the Internet.
Railways to introduce smart rail travel cards
Rail tickets will soon be sold at petrol pumps, ATM centres, et cetera to make life easier for passengers.
Ticket bookings and hotel bookings can be done through railway call centres which will soon be set up.
He also said that 6,000 automatic ticket vending machines to be set up in next two years.
Mumbai Urban Transport Project to be speeded up to help suburban commuters. A sum of Rs 5,000 crore to be allocated during the next Five-Year Plan for the purpose.
Railways to observe 2007-08 as Year of Cleanliness
More lower berths to be earmarked for women and senior citizens.
Ladies above 45 years of age and senior citizens will have priority for lower berths and seats.
SMS alerts for passengers to get information
Railway profits to be Rs 20,000 crore by March-end
No more wooden seats in trains.
Six thousand automatic ticket vending machines to be set up in next two years
Number of berths to be increased from 72 to 84 in sleeper coaches.
All customer complaints to be disposed in three months
New telephone number for railway inquiry to be 139 across India. So dial 139 for enquiry wherever you are.
Fifty per cent fare concession for UPSC and other official examinees.
Changes in the design of compartments to help physically disabled.
Separate coach for vendors, milkmen and petty traders in passenger trains.
Coupon validating machines (CVMs), after its success in Mumbai, is to be introduced in Kolkata, Chennai
Mumbai to get smart card-based reservation system in Mumbai on trial basis
Railways to introduce 800 new wagons; 20,000 km of high-density network to be laid; new trains for cement transportation.
Railways annual plan for 2007-08 fixed at Rs 31,000 crore (Rs 310 billion).
The budget estimates of ordinary working expenses for 2007-08 has been placed at Rs 51,783.27 crore (Rs 517.83 billion), involving an increase of Rs 5,087.59 crore (Rs 50.87 billion) over the revised budget estimates of Rs 46,696.69 crore (466.96 billion) for 2006-07.
Railway interest surplus at Rs 10,227 crore
Freight earning s up 17% in Apr-Dec
Passenger traffic up 14% in Apr-Dec
60 MT extra freight loading in 2007
To invest in 3 storey freight containers
15 private container licence issued
Pipavah-Jaipur double-decker train to begin
Tariff discount to up high axle output; to explore independent private tariff agency.
20-30 per cent increase in passenger traffic
Fund balance at Rs 16,000 crore (Rs 160 billion)
Freight: Incremental loading of 60 million tonne this year
Cement steel traffic up by 20 to 30 per cent
High surplus recorded without load on common man
Plan to start three-storey container trains
Will invest massively in container operations over the next 5 years
Lalu claims container train experiment has been successful
Efforts to increase container traffic five-fold to 100 million tonnes by 2011-12
Each zone will have a SP grade officer to look into consumer complaints
New wagons to be replaced by new ones
To invest in improving infrastructure around railway stations
Wooden seats to be replaced by cushioned ones in ordinary class passenger trains from next fiscal.
Unreserved compartments in new trains to be increased from four to six
Freight revenues up 17 per cent, passenger revenues increase 14 per cent in April-December 2006
New rail lines to aid new steel & power plants.
800 bogies to be added to popular trains.
Rail infrastructure revamp planned.
Huge investment for containers.
Wagon production up by 10%.

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