HIGHLIGHTS OF RAILWAY BUDGET 2012-13

• Passenger fares increased marginally. The increase will be by 2 paise per
km for suburban and ordinary second class; 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 I.



• Minimum fare and platform tickets to cost Rs. 5.



• 50% concession in fare in AC-2, AC-3, Chair Car & Sleeper classes to
patients suffering from ‘Aplastic Anaemia’ and ‘Sickle Cell Anaemia’.



• Extending the facility of travel by Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains to Arjuna
Awardees.



• Travel distance under ‘Izzat Scheme’ to increase from 100 kms to 150 kms.



• 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.



• On board passenger displays indicating next halt station and expected
arrival time to be introduced.



• Installation of 321 escalators at important stations of which 50 will be
commissioned in 2012-13.



• Introduction of regional cuisine at affordable rates; launching of
Book-a-meal scheme to provide multiple choice of meals through SMS or email.



• Introduction of coin/currency operated ticket vending machines.



• Upgradation of 929 stations as Adarsh Stations including 84 stations
proposed in 2012-13; 490 stations have been completed so far.



• Specially designed coaches for differently-abled persons to be provided in
each Mail/Express trains.



• Introduction of Rail Bandhu on-board magazines on Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and
Duronto trains.



• Setting up of AC Executive lounges at important stations



• 75 new Express trains to be introduced.



• 21 new passenger services, 9 DEMU services and 8 MEMU services to be
introduced.



• Run of 39 trains to be extended.



• Frequency of 23 trains to be increased.



• 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



• Highest ever plan outlay of Rs. 60,100 cr



• Rae Bareli coach factory manufactured 10 coaches in 2011-12; phase-II of
the factory would be commissioned in 2012-13.



• 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.



• Creating Missions as recommended by Pitroda Committee to implement the
modernization programme.



• Setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority to be considered.



• New Board Members for Safety/Research and PPP/Marketing to be inducted.



• Rail-Road Grade Separation Corporation to be set up to eliminate level
crossings.



• Indian Railway Station Development Corporation to be set up to redevelop
stations through PPP mode.



• Logistics Corporation to be set up for development & management of
existing railway goods sheds and multi-modal logistics parks.



• National High Speed Rail Authority to be set-up.



• Pre-feasibility studies on six high speed corridors already completed;
study on Delhi-Jaipur-Ajmer-Jodhpur to be taken up in 2012-13.



• Introduction of a ‘Green Train’ to run through the pristine forests of
North Bengal.



• Setting up of 200 remote railway stations as ‘green energy stations’
powered entirely by solar energy.



• Providing solar lighting system at 1,000 manned level crossing gates.



• 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.



• Installation of Integrated Security System at all 202 identified stations
to be completed in 2012-13.



• Escorting of trains by RPF/GRP extended to 3,500 trains.



• Integration of RPF helpline with the All India Passenger Helpline.



• Setting up of a Railway Safety Authority as a statutory regulatory body as
recommended by Kakodkar Committee



• . Three ‘Safety Villages’ to be set up at Bengaluru, Kharagpur and Lucknow
for skill development for disaster management.



• Over one lakh persons to be recruited in 2012-13 – backlog of SC/ST/OBC
and other categories to be wiped off.



• Introduction of a wellness programme for railway staff at their work
places.



• Ensuring proper rest for skilled and technical staff including the running
crew.



• Institution of ‘Rail Khel Ratna’ Award for 10 rail sports-persons every
year.



• New coaching terminal at Naihati, the birth place of Rishi Bankim Chandra
Chattopadhyay commemorating him on 175th Birth Anniversary.



• .Project to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh to be taken up in
2012-13.



• Freight loading of 1,025 MT targeted; 55 MT more than 2011-12



• Passenger growth targeted at 5.4 %.



Source:pib