Railway Budget 2013

• On the cards: 67 new express trains, 27 passenger trains, 5 memo services, increase in frequencies 
• East-west corridor underway, will be taken forward First AC electrical multiple unit (EMU) will be introducted in mumbai in 2013-14
• To meet growing demand 72 new trains in Mumbai, 18 new services in kokata
• 500 km of new line for 2013-14, will convert 450 kms of metre gauge to broad guage
• Target of 800 km of ace conversion scaled down to 527 km in 2012-13; target of 700 km of track doubling will be marginally increased
• Passenger fares increased in January, so no more hikes for now, but will increase supplementary charge in superfast train, reservation fee, cancellation charge
• Planned investment pegged at Rs 63,600 for 2013-14
• Railways hopes to end 2013-14 with a balance of Rs 12,506 crore
• Electrification of 1,200 km to be completed this year
• Looking at potential application of Aadhar: Rlys Minister
• 1800-111-321 toll free for complaints and suggestions on catering services started functioning on 18th January
• Minister proposed to launch "Aazaadi Express" to enable the youth to travel to places of historical importance across the country.
• Freight target set 1,447 mn tonne in 2013-14, 40 mn tonne more than current year
• This year Indian Railways is set to achieve the 1 billion tonne club, joining Chinese, Russian and the US railway.
• Freight revenues pegged at 93,500 cr, growth of 9%
• Number of passengers to increase 5.2%
• Working expenditure 14% more than current year
• Operating ratio to come down to 88% next fiscal
• Gen-next e-ticketing service by Decemeber, says Railway minister
• Freight income pegged at for FY13 target Rs 89,976 crore, says Railway minister
• Bansal: Gross traffic receipts at Rs 1.26 lakh crore in FY13
• Concessional travel for sportspersons, military personnel who have won awards, new rail factories,sops to Railway employees
• Awarded railway sportspersons to travel free in First Class
• Railways has been able to repay the entire Rs 3,000 crore loan with interest to the Finance Ministry in the current financial year.
• Freight earnings growth lower than estimated, reflecting the overall slowdown in GDP growth
• To set up electromotive unit in joint venture with BHEL: Rlys Minister
• Rs 2,000 crore allotted for land and station development
• Dronacharya awardees to be given free passes to travel on Rajdhani trains
• Complimentary card pass to soldiers, enabling travel in first class, AC cars
• Railway gallantry awardees -- one card pass with one companion
• Freedom fighters have to renew pass every year, will now have to renew only every 3 years
• Mountain railways exclusive club of india, will preserve them in good shape and health
• National railway museum showcases indian railway history.. revamp plan to be rolled out in 2013-14
• Austerity will be observed by railway, no wastage
• 347 ongoing projects have been recognised as priority projects

• Will energise 1,000 level crossing with solar power 

• Pushes for use bio degradable, environment friendly products in railway, ban plastic completely
• Says 14 lakh employees are most valuable asset, however 1.52 lakh vacancy
• Staff quarters to be constructed at a cost of Rs 300 cr
• Proposes air-conditioned locomotive coaches, provide water facility

• National skill development scheme of railway would impart skills in drills held in 25 locations across the nation -- multi disciplinary institute in nagpur for providing railway maintainence, equipment skills

Exclusive secunderabad indian railways institute of financial management, five fellowships in national universities

• Expansion in the number of centres for conducting railway recruitment exams has resulted in as many as 47,000 vacancies filled up
• New manufacturing units, maintainence units to be set up to generate more employment
• Railway production units have contributed to generating employment; all of them achieved production targets in 2012
• Target of 4,500 cr has been set up for Railway production units 2013-14
• Will address concerns of private sector with respect to recently established projects connecting mines, ports, to cities -- will ensure payback of investment 9,000 cr including 3,800 cr for port connectivity project
• Rs one lakh crore to be raised from public-private partnership, Rs 1.05 lakh crore through internal resources in the 12th Plan
• 12th Plan railway size to be Rs 5.19 lakh crore, with gross budgetary support of Rs 1.94 lakh crore
• Cleanliness at stations, trains -- commited to bring about a marked change:
• Will focus on cleanliness at stations, trains, says is commited to bring about a marked change in the quality of travel
• Inititives to include: Bio toilets on trains; 200 stations with mechanised cleaning services; clean train stations; Launching pilot project in trains to contact personnel on trains for coach cleaning on sms, and get immediate feedback
• Electronic display in trains for giving real time updates of coming trains, stations
• Free wifi on select trains
• First aid services at railway stations
• One coach in select trains to provide excellent ambience, will be named anubhuti
• Amenities for differently abled passengers, icluding facilty for boarding, exiting trains, braille stickersfor blind passengers, to figure coaches, toilets
• Railways to strive to provide better interface with employees
• Extending internet booking time: now book online between 12:30 am to 11:30 pm, prebooking from mobile phones
• Sms alerts to passengers to provide reservation station to be rolled out shortly
• Four Companies of RPF personnel for safety of women already in place, another 8 to be set up. 10% reservation for women RPF personnel in these companies; Security helpline numbers made available to facilitate passengers to report any incident
• 40% accidents, 60% fatal incidents reported at level crossing
• Estimated requrirement Rs 37,000 cr, eliminating 31,846 level crossing, 134, 530 crossings are unmanned, will only be possible with support from central road
• Elimination of 10,700 unmanned level crossings targeted during the Plan; no more new such crossings to be created
• TTWS automatic signalling systems
• Upgradation of track structures
• Fast and reliable disaster management systems
• 17 bridges which have been identified as distressed and marked for rehabilitation to be completed in next one year
• Corporate plan for 10 year period 2014-24 to enhance safety plans
• Railways market borrowing of 2 lakh cr, could allocate only 10,000 cr in the first year of 12th plan; next four years calls for a paradigm shift
• Condemns allahbad station stampede " the incident has shaken us, safety is a necessary mandate for running the railways"
• Railways fall short of guage conversion and expansion targets in 11th plan, convert only 5,322 km
• Number of Passenger trains increased from 8,897 in Fy12 to 12,258 in FY13.
• Losses to railways on account of passenger traffic likely to mount to Rs 24,600 crore in 2012-13 from Rs 22,500 crore in 2011-12.
• Growth of Railways does not conform to economic principles, says Pawan Kumar Bansal, cites steep hike in input costs
• Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal gets ready to present the Railway Budget for 2013-14.