List of Some of the Highlights of the Indian Railways Budget 2011-12

The Indian Railways Minister Ms.Mamata Bannerjee presented the Indian Railways Budget for the Year 2011-12, on 26th February 2011.

Ms.Mamatha claims ‘her’- Railways Budget to be ‘pro- people’ Budget.

And the Railways Budget is focused on measures to:-

• expand the rail network,
  
• modernise the technology and
  
• improve the railway safety systems as well as to improve the lot of the railway employees.

This is the third successive Railway Budget with ‘No Increase in Passenger Fares’.

However, as usual, the Opposition Parties criticize this Railway Budget also.

There are opinions that the Railways Budget 2011-12 is focused on certain states, such as Maharashtra and West Bengal.

The following are some of the Highlights of the Indian Railway Budget Presented by the Indian Railways Minister Ms. Mamata Bannerjee on 26th February 2011:-

• No Increase in Passenger Fares,
• No Increase in Freight Charges,
• More than 200 New Railway Routes have been announced,
• Mumbai suburban system’s EMU coaches will be increased From 9 to 12
• Concession to Media-Persons with Families (50% Concession) has been increased from once in a year to twice in a year
• Age Limit to Female Senior Citizens will be reduced from 60 to 58,
• Concession to Male Senior Citizens will be increased from 30% to 40%,
• Frequency of Duronto Trains will be increased,
• Frequency of 17 Trains will be increased,
  
• 9 New Duronto Trains will be launched,
• Double-Decker AC Trains will run in Jaipur-New Delhi and Ahmedabad- Mumbai Routes,
• Physically Challenged Persons will have Concession in Rajdhan and Shatabdi Trains also,
• 9 Additional Services will be added for Chennai Sub-urban Sevices,
• 3 New Shatabdi Trains will be added in Pune-Secunderabad, Jaipur-Agra and Ludhina-New Delhi Routes,
• On-line Booking charger for both AC& Non-AC Trains will be reduced to 50%,
• All-India Railway Security Help-line will be set up,
• 16 000 Ex-Service-men will be inducted into the Railways Services,
• Anti collision devices deployed in 8 Zones andwill be Commissioned in 3 more Zones,
• States showing good performance in rail movement( having the least number of accidents)will be given 2 New Trains and Two New Projects as Incentive,
• 442 Stations will be completed by March 2011,
• Under Vision 2020 Program a Rail Industrial Park at Nandigram has been proposed to be set up,
• Railways Software Unit will be set up in Darjeeling,
• A Metro Coach Factory will be set up in Singur, West Bengal.