Highlights Of Indian Railway Budget 2012-13

Posted in Finance Articles, Total Reads: 3887 , Published on 14 March 2012

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Union Railway Minister, Dinesh Trivedi, presented rail budget 2012-13 in parliament on 14^th March 2012. The fares across the classes have been increased. New trains have been introduced. Railway Minister is facing stiff opposition on fare hike from TMC’s MPs. Whether the government will succumb to pressure of coalition politics and rollback the fare hike is yet to be seen. Government is hailing this budget as forward looking but the main opposition party BJP termed the Rail Budget as 'anti-aam aadmi'.

Railway Budget

Here are the highlights of the rail budget 2012-13

Passenger fares to be hiked by 2 paise per km for suburban and ordinary second class travel; 3 paise per km for mail/ express second class; 5 paise per km for sleeper class; 10 paise per km for AC chair car/AC 3-tier and First Class; 15 paise per km for AC 2-tier and 30 paise per km for AC 1-tier.
Minimum fare and platform tickets to cost Rs 5.
75 new Express trains to be introduced, along with 21 new passenger services, nine DEMU services and 8 MEMU services trains.
Route of 39 trains to be extended and frequency of 23 trains to be increased.
Railways to hire more than one lakh employees in 2012-13; 80,000 persons hired last year.
On board passenger displays indicating next halt station and expected arrival time to be introduced.
Introduction of regional cuisine; Book-a-meal scheme to provide meals through SMS or email.
Gross rail traffic targeted to increase by Rs 28,635 crore to Rs 1,32,552 crore in 2012—13.
Passenger earnings to increase to Rs 36,200 crore.
Freight loading of 1,025 MT targeted; 55 MT more than 2011—12; Passenger growth targeted at 5.4 per cent.
50 per cent concession in fare in AC-2, AC-3, Chair Car and Sleeper classes to patients suffering from 'Aplastic Anaemia' and 'Sickle Cell Anaemia'.
SMS on passenger mobile phone in case of e-ticket to be accepted as proof of valid reservation.
Introduction of satellite based real time train information system (SIMRAN) to provide train running information to passengers through SMS, internet, etc.
Installation of 321 escalators at important stations of which 50 will be commissioned in 2012-13.
Introduction of Rail Bandhu on-board magazines on Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and Duronto trains.
Setting up of AC Executive lounges at important stations.
75 additional services to run in Mumbai suburban; 44 new suburban services to be introduced in Kolkata area, 50 new services to be introduced in Kolkata Metro; 18 additional services in Chennai area.
725 km new lines, 700 km doubling, 800 km gauge conversion and 1,100 km electrification targeted in 2012-13.
Rs 6,872 cr provided for new lines, Rs 3,393 cr for doubling, Rs 1,950 cr for gauge conversation, Rs 828 cr for electrification.
Railways aims for an operating ratio of 84.9% in FY13 vs. 95% now.
The 12th five-year plan investment on Indian Railways is pegged at Rs. 7.35 lakh crores.
Proposes investment of Rs. 18,193 crores in rolling stock for FY13
FY13 market borrowings pegged at Rs. 50,000 crores.
A wagon factory to be set up at Sitapali (Ganjam District of Odisha)
A rail coach factory with the support of Government of Kerala to be set up at Palakkad; two additional new manufacturing units for coaches to be established in the Kutch area in Gujarat and at Kolar in Karnataka with active participation of the State Governments.
Setting up of a factory at Shyamnagar in West Bengal to manufacture next generation technology propulsion system for use in high power electric locomotives.
Setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority to be considered
Pre-feasibility studies on six high speed corridors already completed; study on Delhi-Jaipur-Ajmer-Jodhpur to be taken up in 2012-13.
Setting up of 200 remote railway stations as ‘green energy stations’ powered entirely by solar energy.
2,500 coaches to be equipped with bio toilets.
Setting up of 72 MW capacity windmill plants in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Escorting of trains by RPF/GRP extended to 3,500 trains.
Project to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh to be taken up in 2012-13.
Institution of 'Rail Khel Ratna' Award for 10 rail sports-persons every year.
Passenger growth targeted at 5.4 %.