Railway Budget 2012-13: What is in Store?

Unveiling his maiden Railway Budget before Parliament on Wednesday, Minister Dinesh Trivedi announced that the annual plan for 2012-2013 would be Rs 60,100 crore, the highest ever. He said the ministry plans to borrow 500 billion rupees from the market through the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) in the 2012/13 fiscal year.

In his budget presentation speech, Trivedi made safety the Railway's first priority. He proposed that all unmanned level crossings be abolished in the next five years and a special purpose vehicle -- Rail Road Grade Separation Corporation of India -- be set up for the purpose. He also proposed setting up an Independent Railway Safety Authority as a statutory body.

Proposals in 2012-13 Railway Budget:
* Signalling to be improved over 19,000 km.
* Aim to bring down operating ratio from 90 percent to 84.9 per cent in 2012-13 and to 72 per cent by 2016-17.
* Improving railway stations can provide employment to 50,000 people
* Investment of Rs. 5.60 lakh crore required for modernisation
* 1,500 EMU coaches added; Conversion of DC to AC fully achieved on Western Railway, soon on Central Railway.
* Attempt to increase train speeds to 160 kmph; journey time from Delhi to Kolkata can be brought down to 14 hrs.
* New line planned to Nepal from Bihar.
* 31 projects of over 5,000 km being implemented with the support of state governments.
* Elevated car project from Churchgate to Virar through PPP route to be studied.
* Upgradation of 929 stations.
* Dedicated freight corridor from Ludhiana to Dankuni and Dadri to JN Port.
* Proposal to connect Agartala and Bangladesh.
* Proposal to set up a dedicated design campus for railways at NID, Ahmedabad.
* Introduction of alternate train accommodation system – to accommodate waitlisted passengers.
* Jamnagar, Gujarat, to get a locomotive factory.
* More than 1 lakh persons to be recruited by railways in 2012-13.
* Focus on disaster management programme in Railways. Proper rest period to be introduced. Plan to set up three disaster management training centres at Bengaluru, Kharagpur & Lucknow.
* Wellness programme for railways staff to be introduced.
* New Rail Khel Ratna awards to be given to 10 sportspersons every year.
* 2100 specially designed coaches for differently-abled people. 1 special coach in each express train for differently-abled persons.
* 2500 coaches to have green toilets. Allocation of Rs. 1,112 crores for amenities. Special housekeeping body for cleanliness on trains, stations. Cleanliness standards to be improved within next 6 months. Proposal for escalators on stations, book-a-meal. Specialised body for hygiene and sanitation on trains to be set up.
* High-speed train corridors to be started.
* Indian Railways Stations Development Corp will redevelop stations and maintain them on pattern of airports.