Highlights of Railway Budget 2010-11

Continuing her focus on enhancing passenger comforts, facilities, ambience and aesthetics, railway minister Mamata Banerjee today proposed to reduce Rs100 per wagon in freight charges for foodgrains and kerosene for domestic use.

In spite of tight resource position of the Railways, the minister also announced a reduction in maximum service charges to Rs10 for sleeper class and Rs20 for AC class. She also announced 100 per cent concession for cancer patients going for treatment together with an escort in AC 3 class.

Out of the proposed Rs41,426-crore plan investment, Rs4,411 crore investments will go towards creating additional 1,000 km of new lines while Rs1,302 crore has been provided for passenger amenities.

The ministry has also identified 10 more railway stations to be upgraded to world class stations while another 94 stations have been planned to be developed as Adarsh Stations.

Highlights of Railway Budget -2010-11                        
*  Highest-ever allocation of Rs41,426 crore
*  No increase in passenger and freight rates
*  Service charges on e-tickets reduced
*  E-ticket vans to be extended to government medical      college hospitals, courts, universities, IT hubs, IITs and IIMs
*  SMS updates of reservation status and wagon movements
*  Ticket centres at district headquarters and village panchayats
*  100 per cent concession for cancer patient and escort
*  Modern luggage trolleys and uniformed attendants to assist senior citizens and women passengers
*  Six clean bottling plants to provide cheaper, clean drinking water to passengers
*  12 companies of women RPF personnel, 'Mahila Vahini', for the security of women passengers
*  No examination fee for women, minority and economically backward class candidates for Railway Recruitment Board exams
*  Question papers to be made available in state languages besides Hindi, Urdu and English
*  117 new trains to be flagged off by end-March 2010
*  52 long-distance express trains and 28 passenger trains to be introduced
*  Frequency of 12 trains to be increased and 21 trains to be extended
*  Special trains to mark Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birth anniversary
*  Double-decker coaches to be introduced in two trains between Delhi and Kolkata
*  94 Adarsh Stations, 10 more World Class stations planned
*  Automatic fire and smoke detection system to be introduced in 20 trains
*  All unmanned level crossings to be manned in five years
*  Allocation for new lines increased to Rs4,411 crore
*  Rs1,302 crore for improving passenger amenities
*  Railway revenue through branding/advertising to go up to Rs1,000
*  Task Force to clear investment proposals within 100 days
*  Concession in freight charges for food-grains and domestic use kerosene
*  Kisan Vision Project for manufacturing refrigerated containers
*  Allotment of iron ore rakes through the web; RFID technology for tracking wagons
*  Multi-level parking complexes through PPP route
*  93 new multi-functional complexes to be developed
*  National High Speed Rail Authority proposed
*  Houses for all rail employees in next 10 years
*  522 hospitals, 50 Kendriya Vidyalayas, 10 residential schools, model degree colleges, technical and management institutes for railway employees

The stations to be upgraded to world class stations are: Ambala Cantt, Bholpur, Ernakulum, Gorakhpur, Jammu, Jhansi, Kharagpur, Kota, Surat and Thane.

Adarsh stations planned include: Alappuzha, Aluabari Road, Ambalapuzha, Andal, Angul, Ausgram, Badarpur Junction, Bagalkot, Bally, Ballyghat, Basti, Belpahar, Bethuadahari, Bhadreswar, Bhatar, Birshibpur, Bobbili, Chakda, Chandauli, Chandrakona Rd., Changanacheri, Changrabandha, Chas Road, Cherthala, Chhapra Jn, Chhatna, Chikballapur, Radhamohanpur (Debra), Dahod, Dantan, Debagram, Devanahalli, Dhanuvachapuram, Dinhata, Dodballapur, Doikallu, Domohani, Fuleswar, Galsi, Garbeta, Gauribidanur, Ghatera, Gokak Road, Gourinathdam, Gudur, Haldibari, Haripad, Hijli, Himmatnagar, Jagdispur, Jakhopura, Jamalpur, Jamnagar, Jamuria, Jharsuguda, Kalaikunda, Karuvatta, Kashinagar, Kayakulam Jn, Kochuveli, Kotdwara, Kulgachia, Lanjigarh Road, Lapanga, Lingampalli, Mavelikara, Maynaguri, Meramandali, Miraj, Narasaraopet, Nasik Road, Ochira, Parbhani, Purna, Raghunathpur, Ramnagar, Ratlam, Rengali, Sangli, Shankarapalli, Siddharth Nagar, Solapur, Sonamukhi, Sultanpur, Taldi, Tandur, Thiruvarur, Thiruvizha, Tikiapara, Titlagarh Jn, Vayalar, Vikarabad, Vishrambaug and Yelahanka Jn.