Highlights of railway budget 2012-13

Below is a summary of the chief proposals contained in railway minister Dinesh Trivedi's 2012-13 budget presentation before Parliament:

• Passenger fares increased; minimum fare and platform tickets hiked to Rs5.
• Concession of 50 per cent in all classes except a/c 1st for those suffering from 'aplastic anaemia' and 'sickle cell anaemia'.
• Extending the facility of free travel for Arjuna (sports) Award winners to Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains.
• Travel distance under 'Izzat Scheme' to increase from 100km to 150km.
• SMS on passenger's mobile phone in case of e-ticket to be accepted as proof of valid reservation.
• Introduction of satellite-based real time train information system (SIMRAN) to provide train running information to passengers through SMS, internet, etc.
• On board passenger displays indicating next halt station and expected arrival time to be introduced.
•  Installation of 321 escalators at important stations of which 50 will be commissioned in 2012-13.
• Introduction of regional cuisine at affordable rates, and launching of book-a-meal scheme to provide a choice of meals through SMS or email.
•  Introduction of coin/currency operated ticket vending machines.
• Upgrading of 929 stations as Adarsh Stations including 84 stations proposed in 2012-13; 490 stations have been completed so far.
• Specially designed coaches for differently-abled persons to be provided in all Mail/Express trains.
• Introduction of 'rail bandhu' on-board magazines on Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and Duronto trains.
• Setting up of executive lounges at important stations
• 75 new express trains to be introduced.
• 21 new passenger services, 9 DEMU services and 8 MEMU services to be introduced.
• Run of 39 trains to be extended.
• Frequency of 23 trains to be increased.
• 75 additional services to run in Mumbai suburban; 44 new suburban services to be introduced in Kolkata area, 50 new services to be introduced in Kolkata Metro; 18 additional services in Chennai area.
•  725 km new lines, 700 km doubling, 800 km gauge conversion and 1,100 km electrification targeted in 2012-13.
• Rs6,872 crore provided for new lines, Rs3,393 crore for doubling, Rs1,950 crore for gauge conversation, Rs828 crore for electrification
• Highest ever plan outlay of Rs60,100 crore.
• Rae Bareli coach factory manufactured 10 coaches in 2011-12; phase-II of the factory would be commissioned in 2012-13.
• A wagon factory to be set up at Sitapali in Ganjam district of Odisha.
• A rail coach factory with the support of the government of Kerala to be set up at Palakkad; two additional new manufacturing units for coaches to be established in the Kutch area of Gujarat and at Kolar in Karnataka with active participation of the state governments.
• Setting up of a factory at Shyamnagar in West Bengal to manufacture next generation technology propulsion system for use in high power electric locomotives.
• Creating missions as recommended by Pitroda Committee to implement the modernisation programme.
• Setting up of a railway tariff regulatory authority to be considered.
• New board members for safety / research and public-private partnership / marketing to be inducted.
• Railroad Grade Separation Corp to be set up to eliminate level crossings.
• Indian Railway Station Development Corp to be set up to redevelop stations through the PPP mode.
• Logistics Corp to be set up for development & management of existing railway goods sheds and multi-modal logistics parks.
•  National high speed rail authority to be set-up.
•  Pre-feasibility studies on six high speed corridors already completed; study on Delhi-Jaipur-Ajmer-Jodhpur to be taken up in 2012-13.
• Introduction of a 'green train' to run through the pristine forests of North Bengal.
• Setting up 200 remote railway stations as 'green energy stations' powered entirely by solar energy.
• Providing solar lighting system at 1,000 manned level crossing gates.
• 2,500 coaches to be equipped with bio toilets.
• Setting up of 72 MW capacity windmill plants in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
• Installation of integrated security system at all 202 identified stations to be completed in 2012-13.
• Escorting of trains by RPF / GRP extended to 3,500 trains.
• Integration of RPF helpline with the All India Passenger Helpline.
• Setting up of a railway safety authority as a statutory regulatory body as recommended by the Kakodkar Committee.
• Three 'safety villages' to be set up at Bengaluru, Kharagpur and Lucknow for imparting disaster management skills.
• Over one lakh persons to be recruited in 2012-13 – backlog of SC / ST / OBC and other categories to be wiped off.
•  Introduction of a wellness programme for railway staff at their work places.
• Ensuring proper rest for skilled and technical staff including the running crew.
• Institution of 'Rail Khel Ratna' Award for 10 rail sports-persons every year.
• New coaching terminal at Naihati, the birth place of Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay commemorating him on 175th Birth Anniversary.
• Project to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh to be taken up in 2012-13.
• Freight loading of 1,025 MT targeted; 55 MT more than 2011-12.
• Passenger growth targeted at 5.4 per cent.

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