Railway Budget 2015-2016

Highlights of Railway Budget for 2015-16

FARES, FREIGHT

* Emphasis on gauge conversion over next 5 yrs

* Must run fast trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi

* To up track length by 20% to 138,000 km next 5 years

* Must substantially regain freight mkt share

* No hike in passenger fares

 

HYGIENE BOOST

* To have professional agencies for railways cleaning

* Ensuring higher standards of cleanliness a priority

* Swachh Rail to be a driving force

* To create new dept for clean stations, trains

 

MISCELLANEOUS

* 1,219 sections on high density network

* Railway is a unique integrator of India

* Investment in railways to create more jobs

* Under-investment led to reduced efficiencies

* Capacity augmentation suffered over the years

* Railway facilities have not improved in last few decades

* Minister: Cycle of poor invest in railways must end

* Minister Prabhu begins FY16 Rail Budget speech in Lok Sabha

* Aim to make rail a safer means of travel

* Need tighter control on costs

* Freight carrying capacity to be raised to 1.5 bln tn

* Aim to make rail financially self sustainable

* Railway an integral part of PM's flagship programmes

* Launching steps to systematically address customer grievances

* Working on feasible views of over 20,000 in social media

* Aim to modernise rail infra

* We have prepared a forward-looking agenda

* Legacy of past decades to take some time to neutralise

* Must make freight transport reliable, comfortable

* Minister: Railways has to transform in next five years

* Convinced can deliver on promises of efficient railways

* Focus on doubling, tripling existing high-density network

* Next 5 yrs' priority to up capacity in high density network

* 492 sections on high density network at over 100% capacity

* To set standards for governance, transparency

* Need to make changes to speed up operational efficiency

* Pension funds have shown interest in investing in railways

* Need to revamp management practices

* Railway FY16 operating ratio seen 88.5%

* To partner with PSUs to transport coal, iron, cement

* Tie up with multilateral, bilateral bodies for overseas tech

* Railway invest to need multiple sources of funding

* Will partner with pvt sector to modernise stations' infra

* To partner with multilateral agencies for fund access

* Railway envisages 8.5 trln rupee invest in 5 yrs

* To partner with PSUs to build capacity for freight movement

* Railway to partner pvt sector for last mile connectivity

* States can raise finance through SPVs

* This budget part of trilogy of vision to improve railways

* Improvement of connectivity an imperative

* Vision 2030 document later this year

* Aim 30 mln daily passenger carrying capacity in next 5 yrs

* Railway Budget proposals be seen as part of 5-yr plan

* Aim to invest on ongoing basis in depreciating assets

* Sustained, measurable improvement in travel experience a goal

* Need material improvement in operating capacity.