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This Article is From Jul 03, 2009

Waiting for Mamata's goods train

Waiting for Mamata's goods train
AFP image
New Delhi, Kolkata:

On Friday Railway budget would be presented and in her first budget in eight years Mamata Banerjee is expected to come up with a clutch of populist measures.

But will she undo some of Lalu's legacy?

Her predecessor Lalu Yadav made India's largest employer profitable now, Didi wants it to have a more human face.

Sources have told NDTV that there could be special fares announced for those below poverty line.

  • New janata type and superfast trains on the lines of garib rath with new names will be introduced.
  • All major stations could get an upgrade in terms of security specially with baggage screening, CCTVs and bomb squads are likely to be made mandatory.
  • A new age facility where satellites can track trains to give accurate information on real time basis to passengers.
  • And yes in keeping with the tradition a few extra trains to the home state of the railways minister this time West Bengal.

Historically railway ministers are known to specially nurse their states and the expectation from Mamata Banerjee from West Bengal is no different.

"We won't need to ask for anything. As a central minister, she will give maximum to Bengal," said a Kolkata resident.

In her last tenure as railways minister she had announced 19 new trains most of them to West Bengal.

How will she handle the economics of it, all well tough steps are needed.

One of them being, weeding out trains not making a profit something that's always a difficult task.

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