Focus on Railway Budget

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The railway minister unveiled a mix of populist measures, including cheap tickets for the poor and no increase in freight or passenger fares, as well as steps to boost the sprawling system's efficiency and finances.


Following are the highlights of the Railways Budget for 2009/10:


2009/10 PROJCTIONS

* Gross traffic receipts in year to March 2010 estimated at 884.19 billion rupees

* Total receipts seen at 906.26 billion rupees

* Budgetary support to rise by 50 billion rupees

* Plan outlay at 407.45 billion rupees

* Total spending at 825.05 billion rupees

* Cash surplus at end March 2009 at 174 billion rupees


EXPANSION

* To invest 18.8 billion rupees in freight corridor project in 2009/10

* To spend 33.93 billion rupees for wagons and locomotives in 2009/10

* Kolkata metro to be expanded

* To set up new coach factory

* To set up a 1,000 megawatt power plant


FUNDING

* Indian Railways Finance Corp (IRFC) to borrow 90 billion rupees from the market in 2009/10

* IRFC to issue tax free bonds

* Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. to borrow 1.7 billion rupees from the market in 2009/10

* Public-private partnership project investments seen at 1 billion rupees in 2009/10

* To set up panel to look at innovative financing for unviable projects


NEW TRAINS, INITIATIVES

* 57 new trains, extension of 27 trains and increase in frequency of 13 trains.

* To introduce air-conditioned double-decker trains

* Special trains for perishable farm produce

* Works for 7 new lines, broadening of 17 lines and doubling of 13 lines to be taken up

* To introduce 12 non-stop trains

* To upgrade 50 stations to international standards

* To develop multi-functional complexes at railway stations


OTHER MEASURES

* A panel will look at the utilisation of the railways' optic fibre network

* Will put railway land along freight corridors to productive use

* Will encourage private operation of freight terminals