Highlights of Rail Budget 2013

Highlights of the Rail Budget 2013

The Railway Budget 2013 was presented by railway minister P K Bansal on 26th February 2013.

The Budget Highlights are as below :

• No hike in passenger fares
• Superfast and Tatkal charges to rise
• Annual plan for 2013-14 set at Rs 63,363 crore
• Losses up from Rs 22,500 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 24,600 crore in 2012-13
• Accidents per million km down from .41 to .13
• Raised four companies of women RPF personnel; another eight to be raised for women's safety
• 67 new Express and 26 new passenger trains to run; 8 DEMU services and 5 MEMU services to be introduced; run of 57 trains to be extended; frequency of 24 trains to increase
• 22 new rail lines to be taken up in 2013-14
• New debt service fund to be set up
• Will close fiscal 2012-13 with fund balance against previous deficit; need to build fund balance to Rs.30,000 crore by end of 12th Plan
• Operating ratio of 88.8 percent achieved
• Dividend reduced from 5 to 4 percent
• Electrification of 1,200 km to be completed this year
• 72 additional suburban services in Mumbai and 18 in Kolkata
• Rs 6,600 crore increase in earnings from fare adjustment in January
• Rs 63,000 crore investment in 2013-14
• 1,047 million tonnes freight loading estimated during 2013-14
• Passenger earnings of Rs 42,000 crore estimated in 2013-14
• Indian Railways Institute of Financial Management to be set up at Secunderabad
• Chair at Delhi to promote research in reducing carbon footprint
• Winners of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Dhyan Chand awards to get free first class passes
• Complementary first class passes for parents of unmarried posthumous awardees of Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra
• Complementary passes of freedom fighters to be renewed every three years instead of annually
• New forged wheel factory at Rae Bareli in collaboration with Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd
• Greenfield Mainline Electrical Multiple Units (MEMU) manufacturing facility at Bhilwara along with Rajasthan government and BHEL
• Coach making unit at Sonepat in collaboration with Haryana government
• Midlife rehabilitation workshop at Kurnool along with Andhra Pradesh government.
• Railway energy management company to be set up to harness solar and wind energy
• 1,000 crossings to be energised by solar power
• 1.51 lakh vacancies to be filled up
• Locomotive cabs to be air-conditioned
• Azadi Express for travel to places associated with freedom struggle
• India in 1 billion tonne freight club
• By end of 2013-14, 1,500 km of contracts to be awarded for two dedicated rail corridors
• Rs 1 lakh crore target set for public-private-partnership route
• Free Wi-Fi to be provided on some trains
• Rs 100 crore for improving stations in New Delhi
• 179 escalators and 400 lifts at A 1 and other select stations
• E-ticketing through mobile phones
• SMS alerts for passengers on reservation status
• Next generation e-ticketing system by end of 2013
• Seventeen bridges identified for repair
• Smoke and fire detection system envisaged
• Fire extinguishers to be kept in guard vans
• Making corporate Safety Plan for a 10 year period (2014-24)
• Introduction of Train Protection Warning System on Automatic Signalling Systems
• Rigorous trials of indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System
• Introduction of 160/200 kmph Self Propelled Accident Relief Trains
• Elimination of 10,797 level crossings during the 12th Plan and no addition of such crossings
• Six more Rail Neer bottling plants to be set up