HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RAILWAY BUDGET:

Ø Focus on passenger safety, amenities and punctuality

Ø To develop 50 stations at tourist and religious places with internal facilities via PPP

Ø Upgrade CST, Pune, new Delhi, Jaipur, Howrah

Ø Computerised tickets from 5000 post offices

Ø 50 mobile vans to sell train tickets

Ø AC double decker trains for inter city transfers

Ø To give automated tickets vending services at 200 stations

Ø Security plan at 140 stations

Ø Anti-collision devices to be installed on 1780 km lines

Ø To acquire 18,000 wagons in FY10

Ø To form expert panel for rail optic fibre network

Ø Encouragement to private ops for freight terminals

Ø Vast land bank of railway to be used for Industrial Purpose

Ø Done viability study for 4 dedicated freight corridors

Ø New coach factory to be set up with state-of-art-facility to make 500 coaches pa in a JV with the private sector

Ø To setup 1000MW power plant with NTPC

Ø SMS updates for wait-listed passengers

Ø Unreserved ticketing systems to be expanded from 5,000 to 8,000 terminals

Ø Super fast parcel express trains to be started on a pilot basis between Delhi and Chennai and Delhi and Mumbai

Ø Seven nursing colleges to be set up on railway land in places including Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai

Ø ATMs on 200 mid and small sized stations

Ø Railway to provide infotainment services for Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express

Ø 309 stations to be developed as ideal stations

Ø Aim for 1300 km of gauge conversion in FY10 and to spend Rs.1750 crore for this

Ø Proposal for 53 new lines

Ø Aim for 700kms lane doubling in FY10, proposal for doubling 12 lines

Ø Tatkal period reduced from five days to two days

Ø No change in freight tariff

Ø No increase in passenger fares

Ø To expand Calcutta Metro

Ø Hiked Railway Budgetary support by Rs 5,000 crore