Rail Budget Live Updates, Railway Budget highlights, Budget 2015, Rail Budget 2015,Live rail Budget, Indian railway Budget 2015

Rail Budget Live Updates, Railway Budget highlights, Budget 2015, Rail Budget 2015,Live rail Budget, Indian railway Budget 2015

New Delhi, (IANS) Following are the highlights of the Railway Budget for 2015-16 presented by Minister Suresh Prabhu in the Lok Sabha Thursday:

Consolidated Railway Budget Highlights  (14:16) 

1. * No hike in passenger fares
2. * Speed of trains running at 110-130 kmph to be increased to 160-200 kmph
3. * Over 17,00 toilets on trains already replaced, another 17,000 to be replaced
4. * Toilets at stations need improvement; 650 additional toilets to be created in addition to 120 last year
5. * New department to keep stations clean
6. * Railways to Work on 'Swachh Rail - Swachh Bharat’
7. * Defence travel system developed to eliminate system warrants
8. * SMS alerts to be introduced
9. * Paperless ticketing system to be developed
10. * Wi-Fi facility to be extended to category B stations
11. * Suburban network in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai to be augmented
12. * Announcement on new trains/frequencies to be made during current parliament session
13. * 10 cities identified for creating fully-functional satellite terminals to reduce congestion
14. * All newly-manufactured coaches to be braille-enabled
15. * Online booking for wheel chairs to be enabled
16. * Over 20,000 suggestions received on improving facilities
17. * Railways proposes to install Train Protection Warning System and Train Collision Avoidance System on select routes at the earliest
18. * During 2015-16, 970 ROBs/RUBs and other safety-related works to eliminate 3,438 level crossings at an expense of Rs.6,581 crore sanctioned.
19. * Size of the plan budget has gone up by 52 percent from Rs.65,798 crore in 2014-15 to Rs.1,00,011 crore in 2015-16.
20. * Investment of Rs.8.5 lakh crore in next five years
21. * Railways to increase daily passenger carrying capacity from 21 million to 30 million, increase track length by 20 percent from 1,14,000 km to 1,38,000 km, grow annual freight carrying capacity from 1 billion to 1.5 billion tonnes.
22. * Seventy-seven new projects worth Rs.96,182 crore sanctioned
23. * Four goals: Deliver sustained improvement in customer facilities, Make railways safer means of travel, expand substantially, make Indian Railways self-sustainable
24. * Nine thrust areas: Railways to once again become prime mover of economy; resource mobilization for higher investments; decongestion of heavy haul routes and speeding up of trains; emphasis on gauge conversion, doubling, tripling and electrification; project delivery; passenger amenities, safety; transparency and system improvement; railways to continue to be the preferred mode of transport for the masses; sustainability
25. * Foreign rail technology co-operation scheme proposed to be launched
26. * New governance structure required; more decentralisation and deregulation; accounting system to be revamped
27. * Resources to be generated through public-private-partnerships
28. * Assets to be monetised rather than sold; land records being digitised
29. * Products made by self-help groups to be encouraged
30. * Railways cannot function in business-as-usual mode, have to keep up with changing times
31. * Green technology locomotives to be introduced
32. * Two dedicated freight corridors gathering steam
33. * Innovation Council and Technology Portal to be set up to invite suggestions on improvements
34. * MPs urged to use part of their funds for improving rail facilities
35. * Open bids to be invited from private parties to develop railway stations
36. * Operational ratio of 88.5 percent targetted
37. * Waste-to-energy conversion plants to be created
38. * Budget part of trilogy: White paper already tabled, this budget, vision document soon
39. * Railways backbone of national connectivity
40. * Will partner with private sector to improve last mile connectivity
41. * Railways unique integrator of modern India
42. * Facilities not improved substantially over past few decades
43. * Vicious cycle of under-investment must end
44. * 1,219 sections on network - most of them overworked

Railway Budget Key Highlights - 6 last till (1:24pm)

1. * New governance structure required; more decentralisation and deregulation; accounting system to be revamped
2. * Resources to be generated through public-private-partnerships
3. * Suburban network in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai to be augmented
4. * Assets to be monetised rather than sold; land records being digitised
5. * Products made by self-help groups to be encouraged
6. * Railways cannot function in business-as-usual mode, have to keep up with changing times
7. * Announcement on new trains/frequencies to be made during current parliament session

Railway Budget Key Highlights - 5 till (1:06 pm)

1. * Speed of trains running at 110-130 kmph to be increased to 160-20 kmph
2. * Green technology locomotives to be introduced
3. * 10 cities identified for creating fully-functional satellite terminals to reduce congestion
4. * Two dedicated freight corridors gathering steam
5. * Innovation Council and Technology Portal to be set up to invite suggestions on improvements 

 

Railway Budget Key Highlights - 4 till (12:54pm)

1. * All newly-manufactured coaches to be braille-enabled 
2. * Online booking for wheel chairs to be enabled
3. * MPs urged to use part of their funds for improving rail facilities
4. * Over 17,00 toilets on trains already replaced, another 17,000 to be replaced
5. * Wi-Fi facility to be extended to category B stations
6. * Open bids to be invited from private parties to develop railway stations

Railway Budget Key Highlights - 3 till (12:44)

1. * Operational ration of 88.5 percent targeted (12:44)
2. * Defence travel system developed to eliminate system warrants
3. * SMS alerts to be introduced
4. * Paperless ticketing system to be developed
5. * New department to keep stations clean
6. * Waste to energy conversion plants to be created
7. * Toilets at stations need improvement; 650 additional toilets to be created in addition to 120 last year

Railway Budget Key Highlights - 2 till (12:30)

1. * Investment of Rs.8.5 lakh crore in next five years
2. * Over 20,00 suggestions received on improving facilities
3. * Four goals: Deliver sustained improvement in customer facilities, Make railways safer means of travel, expand substantially, make Indian Railways self-sustainable
4. * Budget part of trilogy: White paper already tabled, this budget, vision document soon
5. * Railways backbone of national connectivity
6. * Will partner with private sector to improve last mile connectivity

Railway Budget  Key Highlights -1 Till (12: 28)

1. * Railways unique integrator of modern India
2. * Facilities not improved substantially over past few decades
3. * Vicious cycle of under-investment must end
4. * 1,219 sections on network - most of them overworked
5. * In next five years, intention to substantially augment capacity

 

12:22 pm: 8.5 lakh crore rupees to be invested in the railways in the next 5 years: RM

12:21 pm: Railways continue to be our precious national asset: RM

12:20 pm: 4 Goals for transformation of Indian Railways: RM

12:19 pm: One of primary objectives is to increasing financial health of India: RM

12:18 pm: Goal 1-Customer experience to receive a huge boost, Goal 2 - Safer Travel: Goal 3 -Modernize infrastructure; Goal 4- Indian Railways- Financially self-sustainable : RM

12:17 pm: Improvement of connectivity an imperative: RM

12:16 pm: Good governance emerges out of participative governance – people’s involvement very high with railways: RM

12:15 pm: Railway has suffered from a vicious cycle of underinvestment for long time leading to deterioration: RM

12:14 pm: Government has to work for the poor: RM

12:13 pm: 492 sections of IR -running at a capacity of more than 100%; 228 running between 80-100% : RM

12:11 pm: Railway is a unique integrator of India: RM

12:10 pm: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu started Railway Budget speech in the Parliament.

12:02 pm: Stocks of companies dependent on Indian Railways surge ahead of the presentation of the Railway Budget 2015-16. 

11:55 am: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu gathered around by the media outside the Parliament. Photo:Sandeep Saxena

11:45 am: “There is a general expectation that the freight rates would be reduced due to the fall in diesel prices,” Ernst and Young Partner and PPP Leader Abhaya Agarwal told The Hindu.

11:44 am: We will keep in mind long term interest of Railways & interests of common man & try to balance both: Suresh Prabhu

11:40 am: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu arrives at the Parliament to present Rail Budget. Photo:Sandeep Saxena

11:39 am: We have to make Railway Ministry of India a globally benchmark organisation in safety, security & infrastructure: Suresh Prabhu

11:38 am: We have to get investments and become highly competitive in quality of services we offer: Suresh Prabhu on priorities of Railway Budget 2015.

11:35 am: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu reaches Parliament to present his maiden Rail Budget.

11:28 am: FAQ - What is Plan and Non-Plan Expenditure?

Plan expenditure is associated with productive expenditure, which increases the productive capacity and modernisation of the Railway network.

Non-plan revenue expenditure is accounted for by interest payments, wage and salary payments to Railway employees, repairs and maintenance of Railway assets, operating expenses, fuel for traction purposes, security and other items of Railway operations and administration.

11:24 am: For 10 years before 2012-13, there was no increase in rail fares. Then Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi had made an across-the-board hike in 2012-13 but was made to roll back the hike in second and sleeper class categories. Since then there have been hikes in passenger fares.

11:15 am: Railway Budget: What does the common man expect?

11:13 am: FAQ - What are the different components of the Railway Budget?

Article 112 of the Constitution of India stipulates that Government should lay before the Parliament an Annual Financial Statement popularly referred to as ‘Budget’. The Railway Budget presented to Parliament, besides the Railway Minister's Budget speech consists of the following documents -

1. Budget of the Railway Revenue and Expenditure

2. Demands for Grants and detailed Demands for Grants

3. Explanatory Memorandum

4. Works, Machinery and Rolling Stock Programme.

5. Performance and Outcome Budget.

6. Appropriation Bill

7. Memorandum explaining the increase in fare and freight rates.

11:07 am: K. Balakesari, a former member staff of Railway Board writes for The Hindu: Railways, reforms and resistance.

11:03 am: Odisha is pinning high hopes on the first railway budget of Narendra Modi Government to be presented today.

10:58 am: What does the 2015-16 Railway Budget mean to the passengers? Demands include increase in number of trains and track doubling.

10:50 am: What do you expect from this year's railway budget? Let us know by tweeting with #THRailBudget

10:35 am: Mr. Suresh Prabhu had maintained earlier that before increasing the fares, there should be improvement in passenger amenities. Read here

10:33 am: Use of solar energy in a big way, launching of waste-to-energy project and proliferation of CNG in train operations are some of the green initiatives likely to be announced in the Rail Budget this time. 

10:28 am: Currently, 676 railway projects worth Rs. 1,57,883 crore have been sanctioned. Out of these, only 317 could be completed and the remaining 359 will now call for as much as Rs. 1,82,000 crore.

10:24 am: Sensex gains 61 points in opening trade ahead of Rail Budget. 

10:15 am: Ahead of the presentation of the Railway Budget, South Central Railway officials revealed that a whopping Rs. 14,583 crore is required for 26 ongoing projects under SCR’s jurisdiction that spans Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. 

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