Highlights of the Railway Budget

Following are the highlights of the Railway Budget for the year 2003-04:

• No hike in rail fare, freight rates
• Introduction of 50 new trains, increase in frequency of 13 trains and extension of run of 24 popular trains proposed.
• Railway plan for 2003-04 fixed at Rs 10,607 crore, Rs 603 crore higher than revised estimates of the current year.
• Age limit to avail senior citizens' concession on rail fares lowered to 60 years from the existing 65 years.
• Cancer, thalassemia and heart patients to be granted up to 75 per cent concession on rail fares.
• Kidney patients undertaking train journey for the purpose of treatment to get similar travel concession.
• Mega terminals to be built at Anand Vihar in Delhi [ Images ] and Chitpur in Kolkata [ Images ] to ease congestion.
• Plan to install a device in trains to avoid collisions.
• Existing concessions to journalists in rail fares to be extended to Rajdhani and Shatabdi express trains.
• To strengthen Railway Protection Force, 3,500 constables to be recruited.
• Track renewal of around 5,400 kilometres to be completed by the end of this year.
• Jammu-Udhampur rail link targeted to be completed by March 2004 and the rail link upto Katra to be completed during 2004-05.
• Task force constituted to give shape to ‘Operation Cleanliness' in Railways with private participation.
• Ten prototype refrigerated vans developed by Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala to be inducted in popular long-distance passenger trains to preserve perishable commodities.
• Over 775 kilometres of gauge conversion during 2003-04.
• To complete 225 kilometres of new lines.
• 375 kilomtres to be electrified during the 2003-04.
• Mumbai [ Images ] Urban Transport Project - Phase-I to be completed in five years.
• Konkan Railway registers modest growth. Still needs considerable financial assistance.