Commuters welcome Mamata’s Railway budget

September 1st, 2009 MUMBAI - A brief halt in the Mumbai local railway line due to a technical snag caused uproar in Thane district on Tuesday, as commuters protested against railway authorities. The trouble started when an overhead wire snapped near Borivali station leading to the delay, which created a chain reaction on the line, slowing down rush hour traffic.

July 20th, 2009 KOLKATA - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee kept up her promise of a 'ladies special' for harried commuters in Kolkata on Sunday. Banerjee flagged off the ladies special EMU, which will run between Howrah and Bandel stations in Kolkata.

July 10th, 2009 MUMBAI - Security was beefed up at several key stations here Friday following intelligence alerts of a probable attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 7/11 terror blasts. "Security measures were intensified Thursday at Churchgate, the Western Railway headquarters and Andheri," a railway official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to reply to the general discussion on rail budget on Thursday in Lok Sabha. The Railway budget is still under discussion in both houses of parliament.

July 3rd, 2009 MUMBAI - Many Mumbaikars Wednesday said they felt let down by Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee's 2009-10 budget as she made no mention of this financial capital's lifeline - the suburban trains. "It is shocking that there is not even a mention of the Mumbai suburban section, which has been a profitable unit independently over the past so many years," said daily commuter Mangesh Sawant.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Friday welcomed the Railway budget presented by Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee. "This budget is unique in the way inclusivity and overall development has been the focus without losing focus on safety, technology adoption and commercialization while providing opportunities for industry though its capacity expansion programme and setting up infrastructure through PPP mode", said Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII.

July 3rd, 2009 KOLKATA - "Its a budget for maa, mati, manush (mother, motherland and people)," is how a jubliant Trinamool Congress worker described party chief and Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee's rail budget presented Friday. Trinamool workers in West Bengal cheered the budget and said it will lead the party to victory in the next assembly polls.

July 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that the railway budget would be a "pro-people" budget. "It will be a pro-people budget, a simple budget, people's budget," Banerjee said after an all-party meeting here.

February 12th, 2009 MUMBAI - Mumbai citizens have given a thumbs down to Railways Minister Lalu Prasad's budget presented in parliament Friday as they feel there is nothing specific for suburban commuters for whom the railways is a lifeline. 'What is being done to reduce the rush in the trains, the congestion outside all the suburban railway stations, women's security and cleanliness?' demanded a student Riddhi Shah.

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Following are the highlights of the interim rail budget for next fiscal presented by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in Lok Sabha Friday: * 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 managed 8 percent growth in freight loading * Drop in train accidents, railway safety enhanced

February 12th, 2009 BHOPAL - The interim railway budget presented Friday is disappointing for Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. 'The proposals like plying a daily Habibganj-Kurla train, running daily train between Bhopal and Lucknow, making the Puri-Jaipur Express bi-weekly, extending the Shatabdi to Indore, starting a third Bina-Itarsi line and adding a coach from Bhopal to the Jabalpur Mumbai-Garib Rath have not been implemented,' he said in a statement.

February 12th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Orissa has been neglected in interim railway budget presented by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad in Parliament Friday, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said here. 'I am disappointed as Orissa has been neglected,' Patnaik told reporters here, adding that only one new express train was proposed to be introduced in the state in 2009-2010.

February 3rd, 2009 MUMBAI - Trains in Mumbai resumed following hours of disruption Wednesday morning after some protesting commuters demanding better services blocked suburban railway traffic on the western sector causing inconvenience to hundreds of thousands of daily travellers. Several trains were either delayed or cancelled during the almost five hours of blockade, according to a Western Railway spokesperson.

February 3rd, 2009 MUMBAI - Protesting commuters demanding better train services blocked suburban railway traffic on the western sector in Mumbai Wednesday causing inconvenience to hundreds of thousands of daily travellers. Several trains were either delayed or cancelled, according to a Western Railway spokesperson.

January 16th, 2009 RAIPUR - At least five people were injured when the train they were in was hit by a engine during shunting operations at the railway station here Saturday, officials said. The accident took place when an engine hit the Visakhapatanam-Korba Link Express at Raipur station during the shunting process, officials said.