Rail Budget 2013-14

• Coal Ministry Sets Up Panel to Study Rail Freight Tariff

  The Coal Ministry has formed an inter-ministerial group (IMG) to study the trend in the rail freight tariffs over the last two-three years and its impact on the price of coal.

• Pawan Bansal hints at further hike in railway booking and cancellation surcharge

  Justifying a recent hike in charges on various counts, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Wednesday hinted at further increase in surcharge on bookings and cancellations for balanced development of the country's largest transporter which has "limited resources".

• Budget 2013: Armed forces get over Rs 33,000 crore to buy aircraft, aero-engines

  With the defence forces planning to finalise major deals such as the one for 126 Rafale combat aircraft, the government has earmarked more than Rs 33,000 crore for acquiring aircraft and aero-engines from the Rs 86,000 crore modernisation Budget for the forces.

• Rail Budget 2013: Government plans five more rail freight corridors

  The government is planning to build five new dedicated freight corridors connecting cities in different parts of the country to enhance Railways' transportation capacity.

• Rail Budget 2013: Cement may get costlier following freight rate hike

  Cement may get costlier by Rs 7 per bag of 50 kg because of the hike in freight rate by 5.79 per cent in Railway Budget on Tuesday, but manufacturers of the building material said a final call will be taken after the Union Budget.

• Rail Budget 2013: Pawan Bansal rules out rollback of hike in supplementary charges

  Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Wednesday ruled out rollback of the proposed hike in reservation charges in superfast trains.

• Soon, Railway passengers can get travel information through SMS, phone calls

  Railway passengers on-board will soon be able to get information about their travel besides having free access to Internet facilities.

• Railways to borrow Rs 15,103 crore in current fiscal year

  The railways will borrow Rs 15,103 crore from the market in 2013-14, marginally higher than Rs 15,000 crore borrowings in the current financial year. The estimated market borrowing would help the railways to finance its highest ever plan outlay of Rs 63,363 crore.

• Rail Budget 2013: Freight rate hike may push up steel prices by up to 8 per cent

  Steel prices may go up by 5-8 per cent from April due to 5.8 per cent increase in rail freight charges on the movement of iron ore as well as finished steel.

• Rail Budget 2013: Freight rate hike to cost SAIL Rs 300 crore annually

  State-run Steel Authority of India (SAIL) on Tuesday said it will have to annually bear an additional cost of Rs 300 crore due to the hike in railway freight rates.

• Railways to go green with own power company

  Railways, a bulk consumer of energy, today proposed to set up a Railway Energy Management Company shortly to bring efficiency in energy consumption and help in power purchases. At present, Railways foots a bill of Rs 9000 crore in electric consumption.

• Rail Budget 2013: Analysts give mixed reactions

  Analysts on Tuesday gave a mixed reaction to the railway budget, with some terming it as a "non-event" saying there were no radical measures to bridge the revenue deficit in the document, and a few calling it "pragmatic" given the limitations.

• Hiked reservation, tatkal charges will not burden common man: Pawan Bansal

  Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday said raising charges for services like tatkal booking, reservation and cancellation of tickets was an attempt to rein in touts and will not burden the common man.

• Railway stocks derail, see losses of up to 16 per cent

  Share prices of companies that cater to the railway sector like Stone India, Kernex Microsystems and Kalindee Rail tanked by as much as 16 per cent in the absence of big ticket announcements in the Rail Budget today.

• Rail freight hike to fuel inflationary pressure, say economists

  Over 5 per cent increase in railway freight on all major commodities like foodgrains, petroleum products and fertiliser will fuel inflationary pressure, said economists.