New Delhi, March 14: Following are the salient points of Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi's rail budget speech in Parliament today:
- All unmanned railway level crossings to be abolished in next five years.
- 60 to 70 per cent casualties occur at unmanned railway level crossings.
- Sam Pitroda to head Railway Modernization Committee.
- Special Purpose Vehicle named Railroad Separation Corporation of India to be set up to abolish unmanned railway crossings.
- Mission Railway Modernization to be set up under director, which will report to Railway Board.
- Railway Safety Authority, an independent statutory regulatory body to be set up.
- Railway Safety Plan for 12th Plan will be Rs 16,842 crore.
- Railway investment in the 12th Plan to be Rs 7.35 lakh crore against Rs 1.92 lakh crore in the 11th Plan
- There are 487 unfinished projects of new lines gauge conversion and new lines worth Rs one lakh crore.
- Propose to bring down operating ratio from 95 to 84.9 pc in 2012-13 and lower it to 74 pc by terminal year of 12th plan.
- Annual Plan for Railway for 2012-13 put at highest ever Rs 60,100 crore.
- Gross budgetary support for Railways for 2012-13 Plan fixed at Rs 24,000 crore.
- Plan to modernise 19,000 km of railway tracks, which cater to 80 per cent of traffic.
- Railway coaching terminal in Naihati, West Bengal To Be named after Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay On His 175th Birth Anniversary.
- Indian Railways Stations Development Corp will redevelop stations and maintain them on pattern of airports.
- Logistics Corporation will be created for providing logistics solutions for rail users.
- Budgetary support pegged at Rs 25,000 crore for the coming year as against projected requirement of Rs 45,000 crore.
- 14 new rail line survey to be taken up in 2012-13.
- 725 km of new line completed in the current year, Rs 6,725 crore for new lines.
- 800 km of lines to be gauge converted at Rs 1,950 crore in 2012-13.
- All meter gauge, narrow gauge sections to be made broad gauge, except heritage lines, by end of 12th Five Year Plan.
- 31 projects of over 5,000 km being implemented with the support of state governments.
- Agartala-Akhaura (Bangladesh) rail link proposed.
- Wagon factory proposed in Siktapalli in Ganjam district, Odisha.
- Diesel Locomotive factory planned in Vidisha, MP
- Special Housekeeping body to take care of cleanliness and hygiene in stations and trains.
- Regional cuisines, Book-a-meal facilities, new Rail Meal Plan proposed.
- Reputed professional agencies to be engaged through global tenders to provide world class cuisines on premium trains.
- Two new members to be inducted in Railway Board, one for PPP and marketing and the other for safety.
- Guru Parikrama Express To Run between Amritsar, Patna and Nanded.
- 75 New Express trains announced.
- All out efforts to improve hygiene in trains and stations in next six months.
- All Garib Rath trains to have one special AC coach for differently abled persons.
- Rlys to replace open discharge toilets with green toilets. 2,500 coaches will be equipped with bio-toilets next year.
- Railways to recruit more than one lakh persons in 2012-13.
- Passenger amenities to be given Rs 1,112 crore in 2012-13.
- As against Rs 762 crore in current year Rail Khel Ratna awards to be given to rail sportspersons every year.
- Expansion of suburban rail networks and addition of more services in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
- Indian Railways passing through difficult phase: Trivedi.
- 75 new express passenger trains to be introduced
- Passenger earnings to increase to Rs 36,200 crore. Gross traffic receipts Rs 1,32,552 crore
- Surplus with railways at Rs 1,492 crore in current year as against targeted Rs 5,258 crore
- Railways to carry 55 million tons more freight at 1025 million tonnes in 2012-13
- Gross rail traffic targeted to increase by Rs 28,635 crore to Rs 1,32,552 crore in 2012-13
- Railways To Return To Finance Ministry Rs 3,000 Cr Loan
This Fiscal Itself With 8.55 pc Interest
- Marginal Rail Fare Hike Announced
- Two paise per km fare hike for suburban travel and Second Class
- Three paise per km fare hike for Mail/Express travel
- Five paise per km for sleeper class travel
- Ten paise per km fare hike for AC Chair and AC 3-tier
- 15 Paise per km fare hike for AC 2-tier travel
- 30 paise per km fare hik for AC first class travel
- 50 per cent concession in fare in AC classes to anaemia and sickle cell disease patients
- Body of experts to examine setting up of an independent Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority
- Railways to hike passenger fares - ranging from 2 paisa to 30 paisa per kilometer
- Platform tickets to cost Rs 5/-
