The Railways have stepped up the allocation for passenger amenities to Rs 215 crore (Rs 2.15 billion) to improve cleanliness and hygiene and ensure safe and convenient movement of passengers in stations.

Announcing this in the Rail Budget 2004-05, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said it would also help in easing congestion and better passenger dispersal.

Improvement in passenger amenities would be taken up at 1,100 stations and the deficiencies in the minimum essential passenger amenities at all the stations shall be made good by the end of March 2005, he said.

The Rs 215 crore provided in the current year was higher than Rs 178 crore (Rs 1.78 billion), Rs 175 crore (Rs 1.75 billion) and Rs 169 crore (Rs 1.69 billion) spent on passenger amenities in the previous three years.

He said special emphasis shall also be given to passenger amenities friendly to physically challenged persons.

All new coaches would be manufactured with crash worthiness features and fitted with snack tables in each bay, magazine holder, bottle and tumbler holders and a mirror each in sleeper class compartments, he said.