Mamata announces special trains for Ajmer Sharif, Puri

September 29th, 2009 KOLKATA - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday stepped in to bail out some of the passengers stranded due to the Air India pilots' strike. She arranged for special trains on various routes and asked union Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy to run an additional service of the Shipping Corporation of India Wednesday to bring back the air passengers stranded in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

September 12th, 2009 KOLKATA - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday said that her ministry has already begun an austerity drive and taken several cost-cutting measures to reduce additional expenditure. "I'd issued an order to cut all additional expenditure and it's already been implemented in the railways," Banerjee said while flagging off two new trains -- Sealdah-Ajmirsharif Express and Farakka-Nabadwip Express -- from Sealdah station here.

September 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee will flag off two non-stop Duronto Sewa trains before the Durga Puja festival begins Sep 25. "Indian Railways will be starting at least two Duronto Sewa trains, from New Delhi to Sealdah and New Delhi to Chennai," a senior ministry official said.

August 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday flagged off the the first "Ladies Special" train here for women commuters from Delhi to Palwal in Haryana and said the service would be extended to other nearby cities Sonepat, Aligarh and Ghaziabad soon. "More 'Ladies Special' trains will be provided in the other suburban areas like Sonepat, Aligarh and Ghaziabad," Banerjee said.

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 CHENNAI - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee's budget proposals presented in the Lok Sabha Friday did not include private sector participation in running of passenger trains on tourist routes, as suggested by the Economic Survey 2008-09. "Private entry into provision of passenger trains must be allowed to and from all the tourist destinations," the survey tabled in parliament a day earlier had said.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Rail travel in India just got more attractive for Gen-X and women. The easy on the pocket special trains Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee announced in her budget speech have been cheered by youth and women.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Apart from 12 non-stop train services between major cities, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee has introduced as many as 57 new trains in her rail budget for 2009-10. They are: 1.

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 - It has been dubbed a populist budget by critics but the rail budget presented Friday by Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee has enough goodies targeted at the ordinary rail traveller: - No increase in fares - New 'izzat' scheme for poor to travel up to 100 km for Rs.25 - Low-cost, air-conditioned 'yuva trains' for youth at Rs.299-Rs.399 - New scheme for good quality food at affordable prices - Special Trains to ferry perishable farm produce, rural craft - Promise of clean toilets, potable water at stations, trains - Tatkal scheme made more passenger-friendly, service charge cut to Rs.100 - New scheme for poor passengers to travel with 'dignity' - A doctor at your service in every long-distance train - 50 stations to be upgraded into world class facilities - 12 new non-stop trains between key stations

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee introduced non-stop train services between major cities as she unveiled her 2009-10 budget proposals in parliament Friday. The 12 services will be called 'Duronto' (spirited), she said.

June 24th, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has written to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, listing the state's demands, including that of four new trains and five new railway lines, to be incorporated in this year's rail budget, an official said Wednesday. "Since the railway budget is schedule to be presented July 3, Raman Singh has sent a letter to the railway minister listing out Chhattisgarh's demands," the official told IANS.

June 23rd, 2009 KOLKATA - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee has imposed restrictions on foreign tours by officials of her ministry. "It is not possible to stop foreign tours when transfer of technology is required, but we will try to restrict tours for other purposes," Banerjee told reporters after an official function here.

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The following are the trains with increased frequency announced Friday in the interim railway budget for 2009-10: 2423/2424 New Delhi-Guwahati/Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express from five days to six days a week. 2443/2444 Bhubaneshwar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express from two days to four days.

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Friday announced the introduction of 43 new trains, including four Garib Raths - air-conditioned trains for the poor - while presenting the interim railway budget for 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha. 1. Bilaspur-Tirunelveli via Thiruvananthapuram Express (Weekly) 2.