Home » Indian Budget » Budget 2008-2009 » Rail Budget 2008-2009

Rail Budget 08-09 at a Glance Fare Reduction Sleeper fare would be reduced by 5%, 5% deduction in 2nd class fares beyond 50 km, coming to about reduction of Rs. 50 AC-I fares would be step down by 7% AC-II fares reduced by 4% AC-III fares brought down by 3% Budget Highlights - English Budget Highlights - Hindi Budget Speech - English Budget Speech - Hindi Market Reactions on Rail Budget Ticketing Reforms UTS counters would be increased to 15,000 and ATVM s to 6000 in two years Information technology would be introduced at ticket counters Planning of ticket confirmation through mobile phone Arrival time would be printed on tickets E-ticket booking to increase from 1Lac to 3Lac annually Ticket reservation would be made possible from anywhere Multi department innovation promotion group in railway boards Auto ticket sale machines will be increased to 6,000 in 2 yrs Automated ticket vending machines will be 250 now Plans of doing away with long queues at ticket counter in next 2 years Special Discounts and Concessions Discounts on development of bulk and non-bulk goods terminals Boys studying in class 12 to get special confreightcessions to visit their home towns via trains 50 per cent concessions for women senior citizens For AIDS patients 50% concession in railway fare Staff benefit fund to be increased 10 times in 2009 Free Rajdhnai, Shatabdi journey for Ashok Chakra winners Free season tickets would be made available for girl student till graduation Decorated soldiers would get special concessions Profits Railways made during Previous Years Rs. 68,778 crore cash surplus in four years Railways earned profit because of UPA govt policies Surplus Rs 20 bn earned on freight services Attained 790 tonnes pay-load target Railways registered Profit of Rs 25,000 last year Operating ratio of railways at 76.3 per cent in the year 2006-07 Introduction of New lines 10 New Garib Raths 53 New Ttrains Ranchi-Bhagalpur new train would be run thrice in a week Indore-Udaipur via Ratlam new train to be introduced thrice in a week Introduction of new weekly Puri-Darbhanga express Khajuraho-Delhi new train to run thrice in a week Coming up of new weekly Varanasi-Rameswaram express Machhlipatnam-Bangalore new train to be run thrice in a week Amravati-Mumbai express new train to run twice in a week New Delhi-Jammu Tawi train to run daily Salsa-Amritsar Garib Rath thrice in a week Bagalkota-Jaswantpur train now would be run daily Kurla to Howrah train twice in a week Mathura-Lucknow train would be extended to Patna Varanasi-Ranchi via Rourkela train up to Sambhalpur Bangalore-Coimbatore train extention to Ernakalum Special train between Pune-Delhi for Commonwealth to be started in Oct New train Saharsha- Janasebharan Expess would be run weekly New train Malda-Patna Express thrice in a week New train Amritsar-Kochuveli Express to be run weekly Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani to start New Itarsi-Katni passenger train to be run daily New daily Ahmedabad-Patan express to be introduced New daily Ahmedabad-Patan express to come up Chennai-Salem new train on a daily basis Special train between Pune-Delhi for Commonwealth to be started in October Infrastructural Reforms, Safety and Technology Introduction of discharge-free green toilets in all 36,000 coaches in XI Plan Period at a price of around Rs 4,000 cr. Call centers would be introduced for inquiries which would be reachable at local tariff Long-distance trains would have a system to display next station Introduction of multi level parking on few major stations Public address systems to be introduced in all trains Anti-collision system to be improved to prevent rail accidents Mother Child Health Express would be started Multi department innovation promotion group in railway boards NDLS, Mumbai Cent, Secund'bad, Patna will become world-class Close circuit cameras at major railway stations Metal detector for checking of luggage Signaling system to be introduced for improving line capacity Enhanced security system would be in operation at railway stations Television and Internet systems in trains Touch screen, color TVs would be installed at railway stations Rs.500 crores would be spent for the improvement of railway stations A multiple purpose card called Go- Mumbai card would be introduced for Mumbai trains On boat system for maintaining sanitation at railways Escalators would be introduced at 50 new stations. High level upgradation of 203 mid level platforms Introduction of High-level platforms in 135 stations Upgradation of 281 low level platforms to mid level ? 195 stations will have foot overbridge Plan to have SMARTCARD-based ticket system Low level platform would be upgraded to high level railways 560 platforms to be increased for long-distance trains Divisional railway hospitals in Jaipur, Hubli would be upgraded A new divisional hospital at Ranchi, and an OPD block at ICF would be set up N Railway hospital in Delhi would be turned into fully AC 13 new works at a price of about Rs 101 cr has been sanctioned for enhancing health services. New Railway Developments Arranged execution of capacity augmentation involving dedicated freight corridors, doubling, third and fourth lines, bye passes, flyovers, automatic signaling works etc in the next 7 years at cost of around Rs 75,000 cr. Top attention would be given to port rail connectivity projects. Production of an all-time high of 20,000 wagons, 250 diesel and 220 electric locomotives. Railways to promote Door to Door Logistics services Vision 2025 would involve the setting up of the road map for coming 17 years - customer centric and market responsive strategic initiatives and action plans. Public Private Partnership plans would be introduced for pulling investment of Rs 1,00,000 cr in the next five years for the development of world class stations, rolling stock manufacturing, multi modal logistics parks, running of container trains etc. More passenger trains would come up in peak season Sitting companies will be given railway licenses 5% step down in petrol and diesel freight Rs 17.3 bn to be spent on new lines regarding Kurla to Howrah train bi-weekly Proposal Plans to spend Rs 6.5 bn on metro transport projects 155 km new lines would be endeavored to be completed in FY08 Rs. 2000 crores to be earned from 3000 bogies Jansadharan seva to be extended to every zone Renewal of 16,548 old rail tracks Staff benefit fund to be upgraded to10 times in 2009 New rail coach manufacturing unit to come up in Kerala Staff benefit fund to be increased 10 times in 2009 Freight services raises additional 20,000 cr NDLS, Mumbai Cent, Secund'bad, Patna will become world-class New policy would be introduced for wagon leasing Pvt cos would be able to make terminals on rail land Rs.500 crores would be spent for the improvement of railway stations New coaches in all Rajdhani trains would be introduced by 2010 New coaches would come up Shatabdi trains by 2011 Plans to come up new wagon designs through foreign cos 8.2 per cent growth in freight loading till December 2007 Shelter would be offered at Rs 500 crores in the next two years Rail Plan raised from Rs 11,000 cr to 33,000 cr New projects will have Rs 49,250 crores investment ? New policy would be introduced for wagon leasing For Internal Railways Operating System 5700 vacant posts for constables and 993 vacant posts for sub-inspectors would be filled up. 5% posts for constables and 10 % of sub-inspectors in the above vacancies would be booked for women. 973 additional posts have been created. Urdu would also be introduced as a medium of examination for group D posts in the areas where Urdu is the second official language. Per-capita contribution to Staff Benefit Fund would be by ten times from Rs 35 to Rs 350 for 2008-09. Coolies would be promoted to gangmen Staff benefit fund to be upgraded to 10 times in 2009 Level crossings to be manned by Gangmen Container train operators to be up to 50-55 train SC,STs to be given more jobs than quota alloted to them Multi department innovation promotion group in railway boards ? 5 per cent reservation for women in railway jobs Employees in Indian Railways at 1.4 mln in the year 2007-08. Previous service tenure of employees working previously in any public sector enterprise, autonomous body or any other agency under State Government or Central Government, whose prior service has been counted for pensionary benefits, would be eligible for post-retirement complementary passes as per the norms being set.

Apprise yourself with the most latest and ongoing plans in relation with the soon to be released Rail Budget 2008-09. The articles here include the current speculations as well as expectations that different sects of people have from the coming Rail Budget 2008-09.

• A Sneak Peek at the upcoming Rail Budget 2008-09
  (Feb 13, 2008)
  
  
• Bihar Rail Budget passed in spite of oppositions
  (Feb 11, 2008)
  
  
• Demands to include the introduction of non- stop trains in the upcoming Rail Budget 2008-09
  (Feb 9, 2008)
  
  
• Andhra Pradesh, CM asks Rail Ministry to include Southern Splendour Project in the coming budget
  (Feb 7, 2008)
  
  
• Union Minster of Railways for Andhra Pradesh speaks on coming Railway Budget 2008-09
  (Feb 5, 2008)
  
  
• Lalu assures the upcoming Railway Budget 2008-09 to be favorable
  (Feb 3, 2008)
  
  
• Orissa' s House Committee on Railways demands Rs. 1,330 crores from the Rail Budget 2008-09
  (Feb 1, 2008)
  
  
• Implementation of renewed wages may cost a burden of Rs. 9,000 crores more
  (Jan 30, 2008)
  
  
• Railway fares might not witness any hike this year too
  (Jan 28, 2008)
  
  
• Railways Taking a Step to Enhance Logistics Network
  (Jan 18, 2008)
  
  
• What's there in Upcoming Rail Budget ?
  (Jan 17, 2008)
  
  
• India planning to lend financial support to Nepal in its Rail Budget
  (Jan 16, 2008)