Highlights of Railway Budget 2008-09 (Update 4)

Following are the highlights of the Railway Budget 2008-09, presented in the Lok Sabha Tuesday by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad:

1. Arrival time to be printed on tickets
2. Wait-listed e-tickets to be introduced
3. Tickets to be confirmed through mobile phones
4. 50 percent concession for AIDS patients in AC II-tier
5. 15,000 automated ticket machines by 2009
6. Smartcard technology for ticketing system
7. Rs.40 billion to be spent on green toilets
8. More trains in peak season
9. Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains to have new coaches by 2011
10. Hospital trains to be introduced with healthcare and operating facilities
11. 16,548 km of railway track to be replaced
12. Railways to build cargo terminals in 50 major locations
13. Private companies can have their own cargo terminals
14. Wagon leasing policy introduced to facilitate business
15. Additional Rs.200 billion earned on freight services
16. 790 tonnes payload or weight per freight train target achieved
17. Payload to go up 78 percent by increasing wagons to 58 from 40
18. 15,000 freight wagons to be added
19. 470 engines to be added in 2008-09
20. Rs.250 billion in profits in 2007-08
21. New earnings of 21 percent in 2007-08
22. Rs.300 billion to be spent on network expansion
23. Rs.492.50 billion invested in new projects
24. Cash surplus in 2007-08 at Rs.250 billion
25. Operating ratio a favourable 76 percent
Indo-Asian News Service