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What's there in Upcoming Rail Budget ?
(Jan 17, 2008)
Railway Minister, Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav before the upcoming budget indicated at several factors that would be taken in consideration in the Indian Railway Budget 2008. Regular fare and additional surcharge is very much likely to remain same. Due to the hard work and devotion of the railway workers, the railways have been able to gain a profit of 20,000 crore over the period of 2006 – 07 that is highly admirable.

It is also being decided that Kosi belt network would be extended and it would be made sure that the presently going on work between Forbesganj to Saharsa and Saharsa to Madhepura gets accomplished on time. Express trains between Patna and Saharsa would be started very soon.

It has been decided that a model of public- private- partnership would be set up to make up for the loss suffered by railways every year. As per this model, the railways will take up the land and the state government and the private sector will look after the working of the whole system and regulate the train frequency. In this way, railways would have no longer to worry about the repairment or maintenance of the railway tracks and which will help them to reduce on some expenditure.

As per the Railway Minister, a huge sum of money around Rs 25,000 crores has been decided to be spent on reconstructing the freight corridor. This would in turn enhance the general speed of trains thus enabling to maintain train schedule in a proper way. Minister also says that all meter gage lines would be converted to broad gage.