Railway Budget 2013-14 Highlights

·        No increase in passenger fares

·         Railways will absorb Rs. 850 crore on account of no hike in passenger fare

·         Marginal increase in reservation charges, cancellation charges

·  Supplementary charges for superfast trains and tatkal booking

·  26 new passenger trains to be launched

Most

·  67 express trains to be launched

·  9 Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains to be introduced

·  500-km new lines to be completed in 2013-14

·  Concessional fare for sportspersons

·  5 per cent average increase in freight

·  Diesel price hike added Rs. 3,300 crore to fuel bill of Railways

·  Railways hopes to end 2013-14 with a balance of Rs. 12,506 crore

·  5.2 per cent growth in passenger traffic expected in 2013-14

·  Railways' freight loading traffic scaled down by 100 million tonnes from 1025 million tonnes because of economic slowdown

·  Railways to set up a Debt Service Fund

·  Rs. 3,000 crore loan from Finance Ministry re-paid with interest by Railways this financial year

·  New coach manufacturing and maintenance facilities to be set up in various places including Rae Bareli, Bhilwara, Sonepat, Kalahandi, Kolar, Palakkad and Pratapgarh

·  Five fellowships to be announced to motivate students

·  Centralised training institute to be set up in Secunderabad

·  Will provide better living conditions for Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel

·  Seek to fill 1.52 lakh vacancies in railways this year. 47,000 vacancies for weaker sections and physically challenged to be filled up soon

  Toll free 1800111321 number to address grievance. Introduced from February 2013

·  Labs to test food provided in trains. ISO certification for all rail kitchens

·  Advance fraud control will be used for ticket sale

·  Induction of e-ticketing through mobile phones, SMS alerts to passengers

·  Next-generation e-ticketing system to improve end user experience.  The system will support 7200 users per minute

·  Wheelchairs and escalators to be made to make stations and trains friendlier for the differently-abled.

·  Rs. 100 crore to be spent to augment facilities at Delhi, New Delhi and Nizamuddin railway stations

·  Free wi-fi facilities in select trains. 60 more 'adarsh' stations

·  Safety measures including new coaches with anti-climb features to be brought in

·  More ladies specials in metros and a helpline number to be implemented

·  Railways meets need of consumers while adhering to sound economic principles. Need to expand at a much faster growth rate

·  Elimination of over 10,000 level crossings

·  17 bridges sanctioned for rehabilitation

·  Enhancement of the track capacity and the Train Protection Warning System (TPWS)

·  Indigenously developed collision avoidance system to be put to trial

·  Induction of self-propelled accident relief trains along with fast and reliable disaster management system