Railway Budget 2010:No fare hike, 54 new trains,no hike in freight rate

New Delhi: Passengers were spared a fare hike, freight rates were lowered for some essential items and 54 new trains announced in Rail Budget for 2010-11 that promises a new model to promote private investment in expanding the world's second largest railroad network under a single management.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee spared passengers of a fare hike, while lowering freight rates on some essential items and announcing the launch of 52 new trains in Rail Budget for 2010-11.

• No increase in passenger fares
• Rs.100 reduction in freight per wagon for fertilisers and kerosene
• Free travel for cancer patients in 3rd AC classes
• Cost-sharing in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode in some gauge-conversion projects
• Further extension of Kolkata Metro on priority basis; stations to be named after Bahadur Shah Zafar, Tagore family
• Karmabhoomi trains to be introduced for migrant labour
• New Janmabhoomi train between Ahmedabad and Udhampur
• Special 'Bharat Teertha' train to be run around India to commemorate Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birth anniversary
• Railway line to be extended from Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands to get railway line from Port Blair to Diglipur
• Sikkim capital Gangtok to be connected by rail from Rangpo
• 2011 being 150th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, special train to be run from West Bengal to Bangladesh
• Gross earnings in 2009-10 estimated at Rs.88,281 crore
• Working expenditure in 2009-10 estimated at Rs.83,440 crore
• Expenses during 2010-11 estimated at Rs.87,100 crore
• Thrust on expansion in 2010-11 with allocation of Rs.4,411 crore
• Kashmir rail link to be extended to Sopore in the north of the valley
• Net profit of Rs.1,328 crore in 2009-10
• 10 automobile ancillary hubs to be created
• Twenty-two million energy saving CFLs for lighting distributed already
• Policy decision to employ one member of family whose land is requisitioned for railway projects
• North-south, east-west dedicated freight corridors to be created
• Construction of high-speed passenger rail corridors envisaged
• More multi-functional hospitals to be set up
• Educational facilities to be set up for children of 80,000 women families
• Special facilities to be established for gangmen
• Insurance facilities for licensed porters as part of railway's corporate social responsibility
• Centre for railway research to be established with Indian Institutes of Technology and
• Defence Research and Development Organisation
• Will involve unions in policy making
• Integral Coach Factory Chennai to be further modernised
• New wagon repair shop in Mumbai
• Design, development and testing centre for railway wheels at Bangalore
• Within five years, all unmanned level crossings to be manned
• Construction of more underpasses, besides road overbridges
• Greater coordination with state governments to protect railway property
• Security of women passengers to be improved
• Ex-servicemen to be employed in Railway Protection Force
• Five sports academies to be set up
• Astroturf to be provided for development of hockey
• Employment opportunities for sports persons
• Railways to be lead partner for Commonwealth Games
• Special drive to increase passenger amenities
• Upgrade of 94 stations
• Six new drinking water bottling plants in PPP mode
• Modern toilets at railway stations
• More ticketing centres to help the public
• Acquisition of cutting edge safety technology
• 1,000 route km to be created
• Special task force for clearing investment proposals in 100 days
• New business model to be created
• No privatisation of railways
• But greater participation of private sector
• 117 of 120 new trains for current fiscal to be flagged off