Mamata Banerjee Presented the Railway Budget for 2010-11

24.02.10 : Presenting the Railway Budget for 2010-11 today in New Delhi, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed to start various special trains in India along with enhancing connectivity through improving the rail network on inter and intra state level. Banerjee said that tourist trains will be launched on 21 routes and ten more Duronto (non-stop) trains will be launched. The new budget proposes to run a special tourist trains called ‘Bharat Tirth’ connecting popular tourist sites in India- from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari, Dwarka to Vindhya Paarbat, Ajmer to Gangasagar and Madurai to Patna. “The running of ‘Bharat Tirth’ will emphasise on our ‘Unity in Diversity’. The ‘Bharat Tirth’ trains are proposed to run on a total of 16 different routes in India,” added Banerjee.

Banerjee also proposed to run special trains like ‘Sanskriti Express’ (to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore),  Janmabhoomi trains (for army soldiers and people working for country’s security), Kramabhoomi trains (unreserved trains for common people), Matribhoomi trains (21 ladies special trains in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and New Delhi). She also mentioned to start Duronto trains on about 21 routes along with new services on about 50 long distance routes.

Banerjee also said that the maximum commitments of the last budget (announced in July 2009) is fulfilled, out of 120 trains announced, about 17 has been flagged off, while three were stranded due to lack of broad-gauge lines. The budget promised to create 1,000 km route network by FY11 with construction of more underpasses, besides road over bridge, a special passenger corridor and more security for passengers.

Highlights of 2010-11 Railway Budget

• NO HIKE IN PASSENGER FARES
• Cancer patients travel free in AC3
• Concession to film industry and press. Children upto 18 yrs travel free
• To launch 10 more duronto trains
• Aims at electrification of 1,000 km route in FY11
• Special train named ' Bharat Tirth' to connect Himachal to Kanya Kumari. (all over the country).
• Janmabhoomi train: connected areas in western sectors, linking Jodhpur, Lalgarh, etc. To run every week
• Karmabhoomi: sleeper trains introduced for the unorganised sector
• Introduction of ladies special trains in the name of Matribhumi
• Work under Mumbai suburban area under MUTP phase 1 to be completed this year, and under phase 2 to be completed by March 2014
• Kolkata Metro to be extended inside the city, 5 stations to be renamed.
• Funding for METRO RAIL projects up 5%
• FY11 operating ratio pegged at 93.2%
• Impact of 6th Pay Commission at Rs 55,000 cr
• Will link western corridor development deal with Japanese firm in March
• Cost sharing projects bagged from Andhra Pradesh Government
• Propose to run a special train from West Bengal to Bangladesh
• Importance given to north East states in this Budget.
• FY11 Gross Traffic Receipts seen at Rs 94,700 crore
• To acquire 80,000 new wagons
• FY11 working spend seen at Rs 87,100 crore
• To beat FY10 freight target by 8 million tonnes
• To start door-to-door service for freight movement
• To launch tourist trains on 16 routes
• To introduce 54 new trains  in FY11
• Will launch double-decker trains on pilot basis
• Allocation for implementing 1,000 km news lines in a year almost doubles to Rs 4,411 crore. Passenger amenities Rs 1,200 cr
• Appropriation for pension fund at Rs 14,500 cr
• Budget estimates for 2010-11 : Special efforts for deficit to be cleared
• Expenditure of 783 cr after meeing the dividend liability
• Budget estimates: Target for freight set at 944 million tonnes (up 54 million metric tonnes)
• Non core business earning seen at Rs 1,000 cr
• Cuts freight on foodgrains, kerosene by Rs 100 / wagon
• Training insitution for railways for the south and south east Asian countries
• Dedicated passenger corridor (Golden Rail corridor) project to be set up
• Propose to start execution of Sonpur Dankuni section this year through PPP mode
• Plan to create railway eco park
• plans propose to introduce a GPS based driver guidance service
• 22.6 million free CFL lights already distributed
• Premium tatkal service for parcel and freight movement
• Autmobile and ancillary hubs in 10 different locatins on PPP mode
• 5 wagon industry in JV-PPP mode, in Secundrabad, Andhra Pradesh, Guwahati, Orissa and Haldia
• Wagon repair shop in Mumbai
• Agrees to set up railway coach factory in Singur if land is available; Intergral coach factory in Chennai
• Rae Bareli coach factory, the work will begin within a year. Also in Bengal, Kerala, Bihar.
• To modernise the CLW from its present 200 locomotives to 275
• Railway will establish strong research partnership with institutes like IIT, CSIR etc
• Corporate Social Responsibilty thorugh expansion of Rashtriya Swastha Yojana
• Railways has 80,000 women employees. creches and hostels to be set up for children of women employees
• MoU with health and HRD Ministry; 101 secondary hospitals, and multi functional hospitals with AIIMS and Vellore to be set up
• Staff Welfare: 'House for all' scheme for railways employees
• NO INCREASE IN FREIGHT TARIFF.
• Railways to be the lead partner in Common Wealth Games 2010. Also to introduce special train for the games.
• To provide increased employment opportunity in railways through sports quota 
• To promote sports, wil build  five sports complexes in Delhi, Secundabad, Chennai Kolkata and Mumbai.
• To strengthen the RPF security force; Mahila bahini -  for security of women to be introduced
• Will construct underpasses at railway stations to counter problem of lack of usage of foot overbridges.
• 3,000 level crossings to be mended this year, rest to be done in within next 5 years.
• Core projects of TPWS for implementing safety and preventing accidents
• Twin strategy for safety and security.
• To expand the scope of 'mushkil ashan' e-ticket mobile vans.
• Introducing modern trolleys at all imp stations to assist senior citizens, physically handicapped and children
• Six bottling plants on PPP basis to provide clean water at cheaper rates to passengers
• Upgradation of 94 stations. Propose to take up another 93 multi functional stations.
• Examination fee to be exempted for minority, and women, with income less than Rs 50,000 in a year
• Increased financial power of field officers at the local level.
  117 trains will be flagged off
• Target: To implement 1,000 route km in one year , 25,000 km in Vision 2020
• However, will set up business model -- need of the hour is to invite domestic investments through PPPs.
• No privatisaton of railways, says is proud of 14 LAKH employees.
• To set up a special task force to clear proposals for investments within 100 days
• Only 10,419 km of railways added between 1958 and now.
• Vision 2020 goals broken up in to short, medium and long term projects. The latter two will require funds and can be done in 5 years.
• Mission is continuous development and goal is to unite the country through railway connectivity
• Budget made keeping in mind the economic viability of the projects as well as social responsibility.
• Mamata Banerjee presents Railway Budget 2010.