Railway Budget No fare hike
Continuing the 'pro-aam aadmi' flavour of the Railways budget over the years, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee today unveiled a populist Budget in the Lok Sabha with no increase in passenger fares, increase in passenger amenities, extending concessions to several sections of the public and announcement of several new railway lines and projects.
Presenting the Railway Budget, the Railways Minister announced that there would not be any increase in passenger fares, a clear attempt by the Government to woo the common man ahead of Assembly polls in several states including West Bengal, which is Railway Minister's home state.
On the decision not to increase fares, the Minister said,''Railways provide the only affordable mode of long distance travel. I do not want to furether burden them this year. That is why, on behalf of the Government, I have not increased the fares for the last two years despite all pressure on our finances.'' The Annual Plan for the year 2011-12 of the Railways has been proposed at Rs 57,630 crore which is the highest ever plan investment by the Railways in a single year.
Presenting the Budget, the Railway Minister said that the Plan is proposed to be financed through Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) of Rs 20,000 crore, diesel cess of Rs 1041 crore, internal resources of Rs 14,219 crore, market borrowings of Rs 20,594 crore.
Ms Banerjee said normally, IRFC raises between Rs 9000-10,000 crore annually for leasing of rolling stock.
She said next year, an additional amount of Rs 10,000 crore will be raised through tax free bonds for financing select capacity enhancement works.
Ms Banerjee said Railways will ensure servicing this debt of tax free bonds. Further, external source of financing through Public Private Partnership (PPP), Wagon Investment Scheme (WIS) and others is expected to yield Rs 1,776 crore.
56 New Express Trains
Following is the list of 56 new express trains proposed to be introduced in the Railway Budget for 2011-12 presented in the Lok Sabha today by the Minister of Railways Mamata Banerjee.
Raebareli-Jaunpur Express (daily)
Tirupati-Amravati Express (bi-weekly) via Akola, Nizamabad, Gooty, Dharmavaram
Asansol-Gorakhpur Express (weekly) via Chhapra, Siwan
Nagpur-Kolhapur Express (bi-weekly) via Kurduwadi, Lathur road, Purna, Akola
Malda Town-Digha Express (weekly) via Rampurhat
Pune-Nanded Express (weekly) via Latur
Visakhapatnam-Koraput Intercity Express (5 days a week) via Vizianagram
Howrah-Secunderabad Express (weekly) via Kharagpur
Mumbai-Chandigarh Express (weekly) via Phulera-Ringus-Gurgaon-Kurukshetra
Bardhaman-Rampurhat Express (tri-weekly)
Bikaner-Delhi Superfast Intercity (daily) via Ratangarh
Hyderabad-Darbhanga Express (weekly) via Muri-Jharsuguda-Nagpur
Howrah-Tirupati Express (weekly)
Narsapur-Nagarsol Express (bi-weekly) via Secunderabad, Nizamabad
Puri-Shalimar Express (weekly)
Ranchi-Pune Express (bi-weekly) via Bilaspur
Shalimar-Udaipur Express (weekly) via Katni, Kota
Chennai-Shirdi Express (weekly) via Bangalore
Coimbatore-Tuticorin Link Express (daily)
Howrah-Mysore Express (weekly) via Gondia, Adilabad
Yesvantpur-Mysore Express (daily)
Digha-Visakhapatnam Express (weekly)
Mysore-Chennai Express (weekly)
Ahmedabad-Yesvantpur AC Express (weekly) via Hubli, Bijapur
Bhavnagar-Kochuvelli Express (weekly) via Panvel, Madgaon
Gorakhpur-Yesvantpur Express (weekly) via Faizabad, Kanpur, Bhopal Kacheguda
Bhuj-Dadar Express (bi-weekly)
Kolkata-Ajmer Express (weekly) via Asansol
Jabalpur-Indore Intercity Express (tri-weekly) via Guna, Bina
Porbander-Kochuveli Express (weekly) via Panvel, Madgaon
Kolkata-Agra Express (weekly) via Kasganj, Mathura
Lucknow-Bhopal Express (weekly)
Varanasi-Singrauli Intercity Express (daily)
Nagpur-Bhusawal Express (tri-weekly) via Itarsi-Khandwa
Puri-Gandhidham Express (weekly) via Durg
Howarh-Visakhapatnam Express (weekly)
Guwahati-Dimapur Express (daily)
Howrah-Darbhanga Express (weekly)
Vasco-Velankani Express (weekly)
Bilaspur-Ernakulam Superfast (weekly)
Digha-Puri Express (weekly)
Jodhpur-Delhi Express (bi-weekly) via Degana, Ratangarh
Kharagpur-Viluppuram Express (weekly) via Vellore
Udaipur-Bandra (T) Express (tri-weekly)via Ratlam
Purulia-Viluppuram Express (weekly) via Midnapore, Kharagpur, Vellore
Asansol-Gonda Express (weekly) via Chhapra, Mau, Shahganj, Ayodhya
Delhi-Puducherry Express (weekly)
Asansol-Tatanagar Express (tri-weekly) via Purulia
Indore-Kota Intercity Express (daily) via Ruthiyai
Bhagalpur-Ajmer Express (weekly)
Howrah-Jaisalmer Express (weekly) via Rae Bareli, Ratangarh, Lalgarh
Ernakulam-Bangalore Express (weekly)
Mangalore-Palghat Intercity Express (daily)
Varanasi-Ahmedabad Express (weekly) via Ajmer
Howrah-Nanded Express (weekly)
Hardwar-Ramnagar Link Express (tri-weekly)
Double Decker AC Trains
The Minister has announced that three Shatabdi Trains will be introduced in the ensuing Financial Year.
These proposed new Shatabdis are: Pune-Secunderabad, Jaipur-Agra and Ludhiana-Delhi.
The Minister also announced that two double decker AC services will be introduced on Jaipur-Delhi and Ahmedabad-Mumbai routes.
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