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.
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