Highlights of railway budget for 2009-10 (Second Lead)

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 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Highlights of the union budget for the current fiscal presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha Monday: - Agriculture debt waiver extended by six months - Outlay for national rural health mission increased by Rs.2,057 crore from the Rs.12,070 crore provided in the interim budget - Allocation towards National Rural Employment Guarantee Act increased by Rs.39,100 crore - Allocation for Bharat Nirman scheme increased by 45 percent - Rs.20 billion for rural housing - Rural electrification scheme to get Rs.7,000 crore more - Tax department to work on early introduction of Saral 2 forms - Stimulus for print media extended from June 13 to Dec 31 - Rs.1,000 crore to accelerate irrigation projects - Agriculture development fund increased from Rs.2.87 lakh crore to Rs.3.25 lakh crore - Market development assistance scheme for exporters increased by 148 percent to Rs.124 crore - Pre-shipment interest subvention set at 2 percent for textile exporters - Will make sufficient funds for infrastructure development - Allocation for national highways development stepped up by 23 percent - Allocation for urban poor schemes to be raised to Rs.39,730 crore in 2009-10 - LNG infrastructure to be expanded - Allocation for Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission raised by 87 percent to Rs.12,887 crore

July 3rd, 2009 HYDERABAD - Andhra Pradesh Friday conveyed its unhappiness to Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee over the raw deal the state has received in the 2009-10 railway budget. The Congress government in the state feels that injustice has been done to the state as the budget proposed no new projects for the state except a superfast train between Visakhaptnam and Mumbai and development of Secunderabad and Tirupati railway stations.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Following are the highlights of the rail budget for the current fiscal presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Lok Sabha Friday: - No increase in passenger, freight fares - Rs.1,102 crore allocated towards improving passenger amenities - Kolkata metro to be extended - Rs.50 billion increase in budgetary support in 2009-10 - Freight target for 2009-10 set at 882 million tonnes - Target set in interim budget unrealistic - Freight cargo increased 5 percent in 2008-09 - One doctor to be posted on each long distance train - Rs.25 monthly pass for unorganised sector employees with income below Rs.1,500 for travel up to 100 km - New "Yuva" fully air-conditioned train for youth - Yuva fares Rs.299 up to a distance of 1,500 km and Rs.399 up to 2,500 km - Student concession to be extended to madarssa students - Student concession of 60 percent on Kolkata Metro - Introduction of trains for women during peak seasons - 12 non-stop trains - New train information system to be started in Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi - 50 mobile rail ticket vans to be introduced - ATMs on 200 mid and small-sized stations - Integrated security scheme for 140 vulnerable stations - Setting up of a 1,000 MW power plant - Special recruitment drive for the physically challenged, minorities - Committee under Sam Pitroda to commercialise railways' optic fibre network - Private operation of freight terminals to be encouraged - New factory in West Bengal for making 500 state-of-the-art coaches annually - "Janta khana" (peoples' food) to be provided at railway stations - Railways will not be guided by economic viability, but by social commitment - Seven nursing colleges to provide employment to railway spouses - Medical colleges proposed to be opened through public-private partnership model - Cold storages and cargo facilities to eliminate wastage of perishables - 50 world class stations to be developed on public-private partnership model - 309 out of 375 stations will be developed with modern facilities - 50 stations at tourist, religious places to have integrated facilities - Infotainment facilities on Rajdhani Express for long distance passengers - Unreserved ticketing systems to be expanded from 5,000 to 8,000 terminals - Passengers can buy unreserved tickets at 5,000 post offices - Air-conditioned double-decker trains for inter-city travel - SMS updates for wait-listed passengers - 200 automatic vending machines at key stations for selling tickets - Discount for press correspondents increased from 30 to 50 percent - Discount of 60 percent on fare if press correspondents travel with spouse

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday presented the 15th railway budget in the Parliament. The highlights of the Railway budget 2009-10 are as follows: 1.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, presenting the rail budget for 2009-10 in parliament Friday, said all railway zones have been instructed to ensure availability of 'Janata Khana' - national and regional cuisines - on trains. "National and regional cuisines will be introduced and priority would be given to provision of good quality food, drinking water and toilet facilities and ensure cleanliness on trains and stations," Banerjee said.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in parliament house Friday morning to present her ministry's budget for this fiscal, promising to address the demands of the average passenger. "My budget will be of the people, by the people and for the people," Banerjee told reporters before leaving for parliament house to present the railway budget in Lok Sabha, the lower house.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has arrived in Parliament to present a "pro-people" budget today. Before arriving at Parliament, Mamata said, "It will be a pro-people budget, a simple budget, people's budget." She said that she only got 15 days to work on it, as the concerned officials were busy preparing it.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Following are the highlights of the rail budget for the current fiscal presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Lok Sabha Friday: - New train information system to be started in Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi - 50 mobile rail ticket vans to be introduced - ATMs on 200 mid and small sized stations - Integrated security scheme rolled out for 140 vulnerable stations - Special recruitment drive for the physically challenged, minorities - Committee under Sam Pitroda to commercialise railways' optic fibre network - Private operation of freight terminals to be encouraged - One doctor to be posted on each long distance train - New factory in West Bengal for making 500 state-of-the-art coaches annually - Janta khana (peoples' food) to be provided in railway stations - Railways will not be guided by economic viability, but by social commitment - Seven nursing colleges to provide employment to railway spouses - Medical colleges proposed to be opened through public-private partnership model - Cold storages and cargo facilities to eliminate wastage of perishables - 50 world class stations to be developed on public-private partnership model - 309 out of 375 stations will be developed with modern facilities - 50 stations at tourist, religious places to have integrated facilities - Infotainment facilities on Rajdhani Express for long distance passengers - Unreserved ticketing systems to be expanded from 5,000 to 8,000 terminals - Passengers can now buy tickets at 5,000 post offices - Air-conditioned double-decker trains for inter-city travel - SMS updates for wait-listed passengers - 200 automatic vending machines at key stations for selling tickets

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 NEW DELHI - Following are the highlights of the interim rail budget for next fiscal presented by Minister for Railways Lalu Prasad in Lok Sabha Friday: * 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 percent rise in passenger income * Railways managed 8 percent growth in freight loading * Drop in train accidents, railway safety enhanced * Rs.700 billion (Rs.70,000 crore) surplus ploughed back to improve efficiency * Rs.367.73 billion (Rs.36,773 crore) spent this fiscal toward productivity, passenger facilities * Railways to introduce wagons with higher capacity * Railways to spend Rs.230 billion (Rs.23,000 crore) in 2009-10 * Work has started on Delhi-Mumbai dedicated freight corridor

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: * Two percent 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 percent rise in passenger income * Railways managed 8 percent growth in freight loading in five years * But freight down in current year due to economic downturn * Drop in train accidents, railway safety enhanced * Rs.700 billion (Rs.70,000 crore) surplus ploughed back to improve efficiency * Rs.367.73 billion (Rs.36,773 crore) spent this fiscal toward productivity, passenger facilities * Railways to introduce wagons with higher capacity * Railways to spend Rs.230 billion (Rs.23,000 crore) in 2009-10 * 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

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: * Two percent reduction in fares for virtually all classes * Feasibility studies progressing well to start 'bullet trains' in India * Plan outlay for 2009-10 kept at Rs.379.05 billion (Rs.37,905 crore) * Railways will create record surplus of Rs.900 billion (Rs.90,000 crore) this fiscal * Rs.700 billion (Rs.70,000 crore) surplus ploughed back to improve efficiency * In past five years, no burden imposed on train passengers * Railways saw 14 percent rise in passenger income * Railways managed 8 percent growth in freight loading in five years * But freight down in current year due to economic downturn * Revised freight earnings for this fiscal to Rs.542.93 billion (Rs.54,293 crore) * Freight loading target retained at 850 million tonnes * Estimated freight earnings for next fiscal pegged at Rs.590.59 billion (Rs.59,059 crore) * Drop in train accidents, railway safety enhanced * Rs.367.73 billion (Rs.36,773 crore) spent this fiscal toward productivity, passenger facilities * Railways to introduce wagons with higher capacity * Railways to spend Rs.230 billion (Rs.23,000 crore) in 2009-10 * 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 * 43 new train services to be started in 2009-10 * Frequencies of 14 trains enhanced * Frequencies of several trains across the country increased to daily service * Extension of 14 trains envisaged * Passenger volume likely to grow by around 7 percent over previous year * Steps to have railway connectivity to Kashmir initiated * Railways have set up four call centres

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 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.