Indian Railways Budget-2012-13: High Expectations

railways budget 2012-13, union railways minister dinesh trivedi, mamata banerjee rail budget, indian railways budget 2012-13, rail budget 2012-13 expectations, railway budget lok sabha The Union Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi will present his maiden Rail Budget for 2012-13 in the Lok Sabha today on Wednesday, 14 March, 2012. Rail passengers and investors are anxiously awaiting the Budget as expectations are running high on Trivedi’s big-ticket changes.

Reports say the Budget could announce a safety cess, but will not call it a fare hike. The emphasis this time will be on modernisation, infrastructural overhaul and dedicated freight corridors. There is also a  possibility of another surcharge, called the Union government development surcharge. But as Trivedi gets ready to present his maiden budget, most of the measures announced by his party boss, Mamata Banerjee, in last year’s budget remain unfulfilled and just on paper. It is to be seen whether Trivedi would also take up fulfilling of Mamata promises, along with his own plans of modernisation of Indian Railways.