Highlights of Railway Budget 2014-15

A major highlight of the Railway Budget for the 2014-15 financial year introduced in Parliament today, minister of railways Mallikarjun Kharge spared passengers a hike in fares.

Similarly, he cheered industry by announcing no hike in freight rates either.

The highlights of the Railway budget are:

• No increase in passenger fares and freight rates
• Outlay of Rs64,305 crore proposed for Rail Budget with a budgetary support of Rs30,223 crore
• 17 new premium trains, 38 express trains and 10 passenger trains proposed
• Surveys for 19 new lines and doubling of 5  tracks to be taken Up
• Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh to be brought on railway map
• No unmanned level crossing left with the elimination of 5,400 unmanned crossings
• Portable fire-extinguishers in coaches and induction-based cooking in pantry cars
• Plan for high speed trains in Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor and semi high speed trains in select routes
• More bio-toilets in trains and green curtains along the track close to major stations
• Independent Rail Tariff Authority set up to advice on fares and freight
• Freight target raised to 1,052 million tonne with revised earnings target of Rs94,000 crore