Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com on how rail passengers will benefit from Suresh Prabhu's second Budget.
Wi-Fi will be introduced at 100 stations this year and at 400 more stations in the next two years in association with Google.
The Railways has introduced Sarathi Seva to help old and disabled passengers requiring assistance at stations.
Porters will now be called Sahayaks, not coolies.
Local cuisine of choice to be made available on trains.
IRCTC will offer e-catering services to all 408 'A-1' and 'A' class stations.
Smart coaches with information boards in trains, GPS-based digital display inside coaches and coaches with automatic doors, improved aesthetics and FM radio will be available.
Baby food, hot milk and hot water will be available at stations and changing boards for babies provided in train toilets.
One time registration for availing concessions while booking tickets online, online booking of wheelchairs and Braille-enabled new coaches.
'Clean My Coach' service through SMS. Disposable bed rolls are now available at select stations to all classes of passengers.
New 3 super-fast AC trains -- Tejas, Humsafar Express, Uday -- and a super-fast unreserved train Antyodaya Express.
Bar-coded tickets. The ticketing capacity has been raised to 7,200/min. The sale of tickets will be possible through hand-held terminals soon.
17,000 bio-toilets on trains and additional toilets at 475 stations before the close of this financial year.
