Railway Budget highlights

New Delhi: The Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee presented the Rail Budget in Parliament on Wednesday, here are the highlights:

• No fare hike for passengers
• Karmabhoomi special trains for those travelling on work
• Matribhoomi special trains for women
• Bharatpeeth train in the name of Rabindranath Tagore will travel to 16 destinations across India
• Railways to set up Rabindra Museum in Howrah and Geetanjali Museum inBolpur -- both in West Bengal -- to commemorate Rabindranath Tagore's125th birth anniversary
• Railways to develop ten automobile hubs
• Railway exam in regional languages also
• Allocation for construction of new lines increased from Rs 2848 crore to Rs 4411 crore
• Extension of Kolkata Metro on priority
• Survey will be conducted to connect Sealdah and Howrah stations in West Bengal
• Insurance for railway employees
• Revenue from non-core business of Railways to go up from Rs 150 crore to Rs 1,000 crore
• Despite slowdown, Railways to exceed freight loading target by eight million tonnes during 2009-10
• Freight loading target for 2010-11 fixed at 944 million tonnes, 54 million tonnes more than the current year's revised target.
• Gross traffic receipt for 2010-11 pegged at Rs 94,765 crore
• Chittaranjan Locomotive Works capacity to be augmented from 200 to 275 engines a year
• Railways spending seen at Rs 87100 crore in 2011
• Achieve 1000 km electrification in 2011
• 54 new trains this year (Read: List of trains)
• High-speed dedicated passenger corridors to be constructed
• National High Speed Rail Authority to be set up
• Free travel in AC three-tier and sleeper class for cancer patients going for treatment
• Centre for Railway Research to be set up at IIT-Kharagpur
• Total gross earnings at Rs 88281 crore
• Railways to have master plan for North Eastern region
• Funding for all metro projects raised by 55%
• To start rail link to Bangladesh
• No forcible acquisition of land for freight corridor project
• To sign agreement with Japanese company for Western Freight Corridor
• Freight on food grain, kerosene cut by Rs 100 per wagon
• Railways have earned net profit of Rs 1,328 crore
• Integral Coach Factory in Chennai to be modernised and a new unit to be set up there.
• To set up more freight corridors
• Upgradation of 94 stations, modern toilets at Railway stations
• Special women RPF battalions
• Women's wing to be formed in RPF to ensure security of women
• If land is available, Railways willing to set up a Diesel Multiple Unit factory in West Bengal
• Mobile e-ticketing centres at hospitals, universities, courts, IITs, IIMs
• Private operators can run special freight trains
• Dividend to state exchequer Rs 6608 crore in 2011
• Wagon Repair Shop to be set up in Badnera near Amravati in Maharashtra
• Railways to start work on Rae Bareilly coach factory in the next one year
• 101 new suburban trains in Mumbai
• Service Charge on AC class cut to Rs 20 as against Rs 40 earlier
• Service charge on sleeper class reduced to Rs 10
• Railways to set up multi-functional hospitals
• Houses for all Railways employees in the next 10 years
• Not to increase freight tariff
• More jobs for sportsman in railways
• Railways will be the lead partner in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi
• Special trains for Commonwealth Games
• Vision 2020 model to formulate strategy for next 10 years
• Out of 120 new trains, 117 to be launched by March 31
• For cheap drinking water, plan to start 6 bottling plants
• Allocated Rs 1,300 crore for passenger amenities
• Plan to raise Rs 10,000-20,000 crore in the next one year
• To earn revenues, Railways need to set up a business model
• Larger section of population to get connectivity over next 5 years
• Targeting 1000 km new tracks every year
• All 13,000 unmanned level crossings to be manned in the next five years
• Policies to be made easy, investor-friendly
• Special Task Force to clear proposals for investments in 100 days
• Focus on medium term goals, planning and funds
• Commitments fulfilled to the maximum. Out of 120 trains announced in last budget, only three remain to be flagged off because of lack of broad-gauge lines
  
• Our objective is to unite the country through rail connectivity
• Social responsibility priority in my railway budget
• Time to build partnership with private players