On Thursday, the Indians were excited as the Railway Minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu has presented Union Railway Budget session 2016-17 with a capital plan of Rs 1,21,000 crore. He has also made many announcements for this fiscal year including first rail auto hub for the country, boost to e-catering, connectivity to North-East, Wi-Fi railway stations, investment in few freight corridors, higher capex spending for next year, a sharp increase in electriFI cation, new projects for logistics and cold storage signal the focus on infrastructure remains intact etc.
Mr. Prabhu said, “My vision is to make railways backbone of India’s progress & economic development.”
Interesting One: What does the first budget from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says?
Highlights of Railway Budget 2016
- Government will have time table freight trains by 2020.
- Government will also make 9 crore man-days employment by 2017-18 and 14 crore man-days by 2018-19.
- To commission broad gauge at 7 km per day in FY 2017 and 13 km per day in FY 2019.
- Enhancing 2500 kms of broad gauge line, almost 30% higher than previous year.
- Three new freight corridor announced: Delhi-Chennai, Kharagpur-Mumbai, Kharagpur-Vijaywada. It is good for Concor and Gateway
- The government has not hike in freight charges, It is good for coal India, UltraTech Cement.
- To make 100 per cent transparency online recruitment process for railways.
- Railways will commission 2,800 KM of new tracks in 2017.
- North-East zone will be connected to broad gauge.
- Railways will offer Wi-Fi services for 100 stations in 2016 and 400 stations in 2017.
- According Swachh Bharat Scheme: Railways will provide 17,000 bio-toilets and additional toilets by the end of 2016.
- To Set-up 1,780 ticket vending machines.
- Government has increased seat quota this year, 50 per cent for senior citizens.
- E-ticketing capacity increased as e-ticketing system will generate 2000 tickets per minute to 7,200 per minute.
- Railways will enhance the quota of lower berths for women and senior citizens.
- In this budget, 311 stations have been covered by CCTV network.
- Fully unreserved super-fast trains will be operated on heavy traffic routes.
- Deen Dayal coaches to be introduced for long distance trains for unreserved.
- Government will open a full-fledged Railway University soon.
- The Railways government plans to solve the problem of ticket-less travel by introducing bar coded tickets on pilot basis.
- The double-deckers trains will be run in night on business travel routes.
- Journalists can book tickets via e-booking on concessional passed.
- Ticket cancellation facility will be introduced via 139 helpline.
- Railways government had introduced new policy to stalls at stations that provide multiple services like milk and medicines.
- You can clean toilets through a request SMS.
- All new railway stations will be developed according Accessible India guidelines.
- IRCTC will prepare local food and hygienic food.
- Government will develop multi modal logistics park.
- To improve internal audit system for better work efficiency.
- Government intend to bring India’s first rail auto hub in Chennai.
- Railways will give 33 per cent sub quota for women under all reserved classes.
- Railways has not increased the railway fares.
Recommended: Indian Railway Budget in Hindi and English