Following are the highlights of the interim rail budget for next fiscal presented by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in Lok Sabha on Friday:
- 2 per cent reduction in fares for virtually all classes
- Feasibility studies progressing well to start 'bullet trains' in India
- Railways will create record surplus of Rs.900 billion (Rs.90,000 crore) this fiscal
- In past five years, no burden imposed on train passengers
- Railways saw 14 per cent rise in passenger income
- Railways managed 8 per cent growth in freight loading in five years
- Freight down in current year due to economic downturn
- Drop in train accidents, railway safety enhanced
- Rs 70,000 crore surplus ploughed back to improve efficiency
- Rs 36,773 crore spent this fiscal toward productivity, passenger facilities
- Railways to introduce wagons with higher capacity
- Work has started on Delhi-Mumbai dedicated freight corridor
- Dedicated freight corridor from Ludhiana to Kolkata to be inaugurated later this month
- Kolkata Metro will be expanded
- Frequencies of a host of trains enhanced
- Frequencies of several trains across the country increased to daily service
- Steps to have railway connectivity to Kashmir initiated
- Railways have set up four call centres