Union Railway Budget 2009-10 : Main Points (Highlights)

1. Top Priority to Catering, Food, Punctuality and Cleanliness
2. There is no increase in passenger fare and freight rate.
3. Rs 81685 crore to be the estimated working expenditure.
4. Total outlay : outlay of Rs,.40,745 crores. Out of this, Rs.2,921 crores. will be spent on new lines, Rs.1750, crores. on gauge conversion and Rs.1,102 crores on passenger amenities. Rs.424 cr. will also be spent on railway staff amenities.
5. Under the ‘Maa Mati Manush’ initiative, computerized tickets will also be made available through 500 Post Offices, to begin with. 5000 Post Offices pan India to provide Railway ticket booking facility.
6. Mobile ticketing vans in the name of ‘Mushkil Aasaan’, will also be introduced to provide services in remote areas.
7. A new scheme for poor, “Izzat” for travel with dignity. Under this scheme the people in unorganized sector with monthly income up to Rs.1,500/- can avail concessional monthly season ticket of Rs.25/- for travel up to100 kilo metres.
8. 12 new point to point, non-stop ‘Duronto’ trains, 57 new train services, extension of 27 trains and increase in frequency of 13 trains.
9. Union Government will provide additional budgetary support of Rs 5,000 crore to Railways in 2009/10 and its financing arm Indian Railways Finance Corporation will issue tax-free bonds. In an interim budget in February, the budgetary support was Rs 10,800 crore.
10. 50 Railway stations in India will be developed as world class stations.
11. 49 stations have been identified for religious and tourism importance
12. 53 new railway tracks and 57 new trains will come up across the country.
13. There will be 375 stations will be developed as model railway stations.
14. Budgetary support to Railways increased by Rs. 5,000 crore
15. One Doctor to be available on long distance trains to attend to passenger/staff medical emergencies.
16. Automatic Ticket Vending Machines in all big stations
17. Commando battalions for Railways to be raised
18. Railway Recruitment Board policies to be reviewed
19. Infotainment services, personalised services to be introduced in Rajdhani and Shatabbdis
20. SMS updates on wait-listed ticets to be introduced
21. To ensure Janata Food (at low price) in Trains
22. Double-decker AC for long-distance Intercity Express trains
23. Integrated security plan drawn up
24. Integrated Security System for 130 vulnerable stations
25. Women Commandos to be introduced (Women Railway Protection Force Squads)
26. Mega logistics hub for Eastern and Western Corridor
27. Green Toilets in Trains
28. Cold storage facilities for farmers to store procure
29. Special provisions for SCs, STs and Sportspersons
30. Photo ID cards-cum-credit cards to be given to accredited journalists with PIB Card.
31. Travel concession has been increased from 30% to 50% for them.
32. Kolkata Metro to be expanded till Barackpore
33. Special Pass for Students in Kolkata Metro
34. Kajigund-Anantnag Railway Line to be completed by August
35. 12 new AC sleeper non-stop : Delhi-Jammu Tawi, Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Delhi-Chennai, Kolkata-Amrritsar, Delhi-Lucknow, Bhubaneswar-New Delhi, Delhi-Allahanad, Delh-Sealdah, Delhi-Ernakulam, Delhi-Pune, Howrah-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah.
36. 10 New Garib Rath Trains
37. Ladies Special in Delhi, Kolkata, chennai
38. AC Yuva Trains to be introduced at Rs. 299 and Rs. 399
39. Tatkal Tickets booking time reduced to two days. Charges down to Rs. 100 instead of Rs. 150.
40. Ambulance Service in 6 Cities
41. 1,000 new Reservation Centres to be built in 200 cities
42. New Houses to be built for 6650 Railway Employees
43. Indian Railways to lease out land for commercial purposes to increase revenue. Colleges on Railway land in public-private partnership.
44. Scholarship schemes for Girl child of Group B Railway employees.
45. Railway Medical Colleges, Hospitals to be set up
46. Rail Coach Factory to be built in Kachrapara, West Bengal
47. 1000 MW Power Plant in West Bengal
48. 18,000 new goods bogies to be purchased.
49. Physically challenged passengers to be accomodated in specially designed coaches.
50. Catering facilities to be upgraded in order to address growing number of passenger complaints/feedback.
51. Cold storage facilities to be developed for farmers storing vegetables and fruits.