Highlights of the Railway Budget

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday presented the Railway Budget announcing a number of services to transform the Railways.

Highlights of the Railway Budget:

  * No hike in passenger fares, freight rates

  * Rs 8.5 lakh crore to be spent in 5 years for modernisation of rail infrastructure

  * To invest Rs 1.21 lakh crore in 2016-17.

  * 3 new super-fast trains -- Humsafar Express, Tejas, Uday

  * Aastha circuit trains to connect important pilgrim centres

  * Super-fast unreserved train Antyodaya Express

  * Deen Dayalu unreserved coaches with water, mobile charging points

  * 50% more lower berth quota for senior citizens

  * By 2020 reserved accommodation on trains on demand

  * 400 stations to have wifi, 100 in next fiscal

  * Eticketing capacity raised to 7,200/min, from 2,000/min

  * CCTV surveillance for all major stations

  * 30,000 bio-toilets in trains by next year

  * Cleaning of coach on demand soon

  * E-booking tickets on concessional passes for journalists

  * Bar-coded tickets, scanners on pilot basis

  * E-ticketing facility on foreign debit/credit cards

  * Sale of tickets through hand held terminals soon

  * Beautification stations at pilgrimage centres, including Ajmer, Puri, Varanasi, Nagapattinam

  * FM Radio stations to provide train borne entertainment

  * Rail Mitra Seva for old and disabled passengers

  * Optional travel insurance for rail passengers

  * Janani Sewa for providing food for children

  * Smart coaches with automatic doors, bio vacuum toilets, improved aesthetics

  * Mobile app to deal with ticketing issues, complaints

  * Information boards in trains, GPS based digital display inside coaches

  * SPV with Japan for Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet train

  * Rs 30,000 crore spent on passenger fares.