HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RAILWAY BUDGET - 2013-14



HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RAILWAY BUDGET - 2013-14 
Thrust
1. Safety; 2. Consolidation; 3. Passenger Amenities; 4. Fiscal Discipline.
Some Achievements/Initiatives
 IR enters the one billion tonne Select Club joining Chinese, Russian and
US Railways;
 IR also joins Select Club running freight trains of more than 10000 tonne
load;
 ‘Fuel Adjustment Component’ concept to be implemented linking tariffs
with movement of fuel prices;
 Target of Rs 1000 crore each fixed for Rail Land Development Authority
and IR Station Development Corporation to be raised through PPP in
2013-14;
 New fund – Debt Service Fund – to be set up to meet committed liabilities
of debt servicing for WB and JICA loans for DFC and other future
liabilities.
Measures for improving Safety & Security
 Making a Corporate Safety Plan for a ten year period (2014-2024).
 Elimination of 10797 level crossings during the 12th Plan and no addition
of new LCs to the IR system henceforth.
 Introduction of Train Protection Warning System on Automatic
Signalling Systems.
 Rigorous trials of the indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance
System.
 Using 60 kg rails, 260 meter long welded rail panels and improved flash
butt welding technology.
 Introduction of 160/200 kmph Self Propelled Accident Relief Trains.
 Induction of crash worthy LHB coaches with anti-climb feature.
 Rehabilitation of identified 17 distressed bridges over next one year.
 Provision of comprehensive fire and smoke detection systems.
 Provision of portable fire extinguishers in Guard-cum-Brake Vans, AC
Coaches and Pantry Cars in all trains.
 Use of fire retardant furnishing materials in coaches.
 Measures initiated to deal with elephant related accidents.
 Four companies of women RPF personnel set up and another 8 to be set
up to strengthen the security of rail passengers, especially women  2
passengers.
 Recruitment to RPF with 10% vacancies reserved for women.
Rail Based Industries
New factories/workshops to be set up:
 a new Forged Wheel Factory at Rae Bareli in collaboration with
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited.
 a Greenfield Mainline Electrical Multiple Units (MEMU) manufacturing
facility at Bhilwara (Rajasthan) in collaboration with State Government
and BHEL.
 a Coach Manufacturing Unit in Sonepat District (Haryana) in
collaboration with State Government.
 a Midlife Rehabilitation Workshop at Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) in
collaboration with the State Government.
 Bikaner and Pratapgarh workshops to undertake POH of BG wagons.
 a workshop for repair and rehabilitation of motorized bogies at Misrod
(Madhya Pradesh).
 a new wagon maintenance workshop in Kalahandi (Odisha).
 a modern signaling equipment facility at Chandigarh through PPP route.
Green Initiatives
 Setting up of Railway Energy Management Company (REMC) to harness
potential of solar and wind energy.
 Setting up of 75 MW capacity windmill plants and energizing 1000 level
crossings with solar power.
 Deployment of new generation energy efficient electric locomotives and
EMUs.
 More usage of agro-based and recycled paper and ban use of plastic in
catering.
Passenger/Rail Users’ Amenities
 Identification of 104 important stations for immediate attention to all
aspects related to cleanliness.
 Progressive extension of bio-toilets on trains.
 Provision of concrete aprons on platforms with mechanized cleaning  3
facilities.
 Extension of On Board Housekeeping Scheme and Clean Train Stations
to more stations and trains.
 Extension of Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS), Automatic Ticket
Vending Machines (ATVMs), Coin-operated Ticket Vending Machines
(CO-TVMs) and schme of Jan-Sadharan Ticket Booking Sevaks (JTBSs).
 Setting up of six more Rail Neer bottling plants at Vijayawada, Nagpur,
Lalitpur, Bilaspur, Jaipur and Ahmedabad.
 Pilot project on select trains to facilitate passengers to contact on board
staff through SMS/phone call/e-mail for coach cleanliness and real time
feedback.
 8-10 more mechanized laundries for quality washing of linen.
 Provision of announcement facility and electronic display boards in
trains.
 Providing free Wi-Fi facilities on several trains.
 Upgrading another 60 stations as Adarsh Stations in addition to 980
already selected.
 Associate voluntary organizations for providing first aid services at
railway stations.
 Introduction of an ‘Anubhuti’ coach in select trains to provide excellent
ambience and latest facilities and services.
 179 escalators and 400 lifts at A-1 and other major stations to be installed
facilitating elderly and differently abled.
 Affixing Braille stickers with layout of coaches including toilets,
provision of wheel chairs and battery operated vehicles at more stations
and making coaches wheel-chair friendly.
 Some JTBS to be reserved for disabled people.
 Curbing malpractices in reserved tickets including tatkal scheme.
 Third party audit and tie up with food testing laboratories for food quality
control; ISO certified state-of-the-art base kitchens to be set up in railway
premises.
 Centralized Catering Services Monitoring Cell set up with a toll free
number (1800 111 321)
Rail Tourism
 Launching multi-modal travel package in cooperation with Jammu &
Kashmir state government.
 Issuing ‘Yatra Parchis’ to pilgrims travelling by rail to Mata Vaishno
Devi Shrine at the time of railway ticket booking.  4
 Introduction of an educational tourist train with concessional fares -
‘Azadi Express’ – to connect places associated with freedom movement.
 Introduction of executive lounge at 7 more stations, namely, Bilaspur,
Visakhapatnam, Patna, Nagpur, Agra, Jaipur and Bengaluru.
IT Initiatives
 ‘Aadhar’ to be used for various passenger and staff related services.
 Internet ticketing from 0030 hours to 2330 hours.
 e-ticketing through mobile phones.
 Project of SMS alerts to passengers providing updates on reservation
status.
 Covering larger number of trains under Real Time Information System.
 Next-Gen e-ticketing system to be rolled out capable of handling 7200
tickets per minute against 2000 now & 1.20 lakh users simultaneously
against 40,000 now.
Financial Performance 2012-13
 Loading target revised to 1007 MT against 1025 MT in BE.
 Gross Traffic Receipts fixed at `1,25,680 cr in RE, short by `6,872 cr
over Budget Estimates.
 Ordinary Working Expenses retained at BE level of `84,400 cr; pension
payments increased by `1,500 cr to `20,000 cr.
 Dividend liability to government to be fully discharged.
 ‘Excess’ of `10,409 cr as against the budget amount of `15,557 cr.
 Loan of `3,000 cr taken in 2011-12 fully repaid along with interest.
 Operating Ratio of 88.8% as compared to 94.9% in 2011-12.
Budget Estimates 2013-14
 Freight loading of 1047 MT, 40 MT more than 2012-13.
 Passenger growth - 5.2%.
 Gross Traffic Receipts - `1,43,742 cr i.e. an increase of 18,062 cr over
RE, 2012-13.
 Ordinary Working Expenses - `96,500 cr.
 Appropriation to DRF at `7,500 cr and to Pension Fund at `22,000 cr.
 Dividend payment estimated at `6,249 cr.
 Operating Ratio to be 87.8%.
 Fund Balances to exceed `12,000 cr.  5
Annual Plan 2013-14
 Highest ever plan outlay of `63363 cr.
o Gross Budgetary Support - `26,000 cr
o Railway Safety Fund - `2,000 cr
o Internal Resources - `14,260 cr.
o EBR - Market Borrowing - `15,103 cr;
o EBR - PPP - `6,000 cr.
 500 km new lines, 750 km doubling, 450 km gauge conversion targeted
in 2013-14.
Fiscal Discipline
 No supplementary Demands for Grants introduced in Monsoon Session or
Winter Session of Parliament;
 Loan of `3,000 cr repaid fully;
 347 projects prioritized with assured funding;
 Operationally important projects and also last mile projects to receive
liberal funding;
 A new fund – Debt Service Fund – set up to meet committed liabilities;
 Stringent targets for efficiencies in maintenance of rolling stock and fuel
consumption;
 Target to create fund balance of `30,000 cr in the terminal year of the 12th
Plan.
Staff Welfare
 Fund allocation for staff quarters enhanced to Rs 300 cr.
 Provision of hostel facilities for single women railway employees at all
divisional headquarters.
Extending treatment facility in case of medical emergency to RELHS beneficiaries to all cities in hospitals empanelled with CGHS and Railways. 
 Condition of barracks to be improved for RPF personnel.
 Provision of water closets and air conditioners in the locomotive cabs to
avoid stress being faced by loco pilots.
Training and Recruitment
 1.52 lakh vacancies being filled up this year out of which 47000
vacancies have been earmarked for weaker sections and physically
challenged.
 Imparting skills to the youth in railway related trades in 25 locations.  6
 Setting up of a multi-disciplinary training institute at Nagpur for training
in rail related electronics technologies.
 Setting up of a centralized training institute at Secunderabad – Indian
Railways Institute of Financial Management (IRIFM).
 Five fellowships in national universities to be instituted to motivate
students to study and undertake research on IR related issues at M.Phil
and Ph.D. levels.
 Setting up of a chair at TERI promoting railway related research to reduce
carbon footprint.
Sports
 Railway Teams won 9 National Championships in 2012.
 Railway Sports Promotion Board awarded the ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan
Puraskar – 2012’.
Concessions
 Complimentary card passes to recipients of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna &
Dhyan Chand Awards to be valid for travel by 1st Class/2nd AC.
 Complimentary card passes to Olympic Medalists and Dronacharya
Awardees for travel in Rajdhani/Shatabadi Trains.
 Travel by Duronto Trains permitted on all card passes issued to
sportpersons having facility of travel by Rajdhani/Shatabadi Trains.
 Facility of complimentary card passes valid in 1st class/2nd AC extended
to parents of posthumous unmarried awardees of Mahavir Chakra, Vir
Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra, President’s Police Medal for
Gallantry and Police Medal for Gallantry.
 Police Gallantry awardees to be granted one complimentary pass every
year for travel along with one companion in 2nd AC in
Rajdhani/Shatabadi Trains.
 Passes for freedom fighters to be renewed once in three years.
Trains
 67 new Express trains to be introduced.
 26 new passenger services, 8 DEMU services and 5 MEMU services to
be introduced.
 Run of 57 trains to be extended.
 Frequency of 24 trains to be increased.  7
Metropolitan Projects/Sub-urban Services
 Introduction of first AC EMU rake on Mumbai suburban network in
2013-14.
 Introduction of 72 additional services in Mumbai and 18 in Kolkata.
 Rake length increased from 9 cars to 12 cars for 80 services in Kolkata
and 30 services in Chennai.
Tariff Proposals
 Proposal for setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority
formulated and at inter-ministerial consultation stage.
 Fuel Adjustment Component (FAC) linked revision for freight tariff to be
implemented from 1st April 2013.
 Supplementary charges for super fast trains, reservation fee, clerkage
charge, cancellation charge and tatkal charge marginally increased.
 Enhanced reservation fee abolished.
*****

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

GREAT HOPE : Grant of notional increment to govt servants Superanuated on 30th june or 31st December-reg dated 26th June 2023