No major announcements or tariff changes for freight or passenger segment likely to be announced.
The minister said a premium service for container movement with assured transit time was under consideration for time sensitive cargo.
With an eye on the forthcoming general elections, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Friday presented a feel good, populist interim Railway Budget in Parliament, cutting mail and express train fares by 2 per cent and keeping freight rates unchanged.
'The government must understand that the Indian Railways is like a Kamdhenu cow. It can look after your GDP, it can look after the health of the nation. But the Kamdhenu cow also needs nourishment.' 'You have not at all looked after the Indian Railways, you have ill treated the Indian Railways, you have mistreated the Indian Railways and you have given the Indian Railways step motherly treatment.' 'I don't think this government has understood the Indian Railways.'
Presenting the Interim Railway Budget 2009-2010 in the Lok Sabha on Friday, the minister said that Palej, Panoli, Kosamba and Kim in the districts of Surat and Bharuch in Gujarat, Roshanara Garden and Sultanpuri in Delhi, Shastrinagar and Model Town of Ludhiana in Punjab and Vasarpadi in Tamil Nadu will be considered on priority for construction of ROBs and RUBs.
Stunning landscapes, natural beauty, clean beaches, cultural wealth, mouth-watering food, shopping options, safety for solo travellers, warm hospitality, easy visas, and connectivity make Vietnam a must-visit destination, discovers Ramesh Menon.
Railway Safety Plan for 12th Plan would be Rs 16,842 crore (Rs 168.42 billion), the Railway Minister informed the Lok Sabha.
Railways minister Mamata Banerjee announced the proposal to construct 6,560 staff quarters during the year 2009-10. A thrust would be given under the Corporate Welfare Plan for improvement of staff quarters and colonies. The Budget also proposes to set up indoor stadia in major railway divisions and zones to promote sports and cultural activities among the railway employees.
Mamata-wary corporate heads hope economics wins over politics in Budget.
The railways is expecting a revenue of Rs 1,84,820 crore during the current financial year (FY17).
The General Budget will be presented on July 6 and the Railway Budget will be presented on July 3.
Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda presented the Railway Budget in the Parliament on Tuesday.
Suresh Prabhu's maiden Railway Budget presentation, peppered with personal references and quotes, turned out to be a smooth affair.
It is a Budget 'high on promises but low on design,' the agency said.
"The 6th Pay Commission disbursement led to an increase in our working expenses," Chairman of the Railway Board S S Khurana said. He also said the Railways had saved Rs 655 crore. "Our cash surplus before the dividend was Rs 17,399 crore and operating ratio was 90.4 per cent," he said.
Railway Budget will be presented on July 8.
Though the Railway Minister did not propose any increase in basic rail fares, the hike in reservation fees and supplementary charges will mean an increase of Rs 5 to Rs 25 in fares for all classes in superfast trains.
The Indian Railways proposes to introduce 58 new trains which includes five Jansadharan Trains, five Premium Trains, six AC Express Trains, 27 Express Trains.
India is now much ahead of other large railway networks in the world in terms of electrification -- with the US at just 1 per cent, China at 72 per cent and Europe at 60 per cent.
Abheek Barua analyses varied nuances of the Union Budget.
In a few hours Union Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav will announce his first Rail Budget. Take the Rediff Business Quiz and find out how much you know about the Indian Railways.
The minister said that the objective of larger investment is to increase the transport capacity of the Railways and to reduce the unit cost of operations. Railways' investment outlays have been stepped up from Rs 13,394 crore (Rs 133.94 billion) in 2003-04 to Rs 36,773 crore (Rs 367.73 billion) in 2008-09.
However, he made it clear that he would resign the moment Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Mamata Banerjee ask him to do.
The Budget and related appropriation bills were passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday.
She has shown shrewdness, sensitivity, and courage. All of these will be needed in ample quantities for the real challenge that will emerge after the elections, notes Shreekant Sambrani.
The Railway Budget for 2003-04 has been fixed at Rs.10,607 crore (Rs 106.07 billion), Rs 603 crore (RS 6.03 billion) higher than the revised estimates of the current year.
Presenting his fourth Railway Budget in succession, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Monday said that the Indian Railways had registered a profit of Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) for the fiscal year 2006-07.
Stocks might hit new highs even before B-Day.
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The Annual Plan for Railways in 2013-14 financial year is proposed at Rs 63,363 crore, Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said.
Angry over the hike in passenger fares in the Railway Budget, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remove her party nominee Dinesh Trivedi from the post of railway minister.
It was the humble 'jhola' rather than the traditional leather briefcase Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee preferred to bring her budget papers to Parliament on Friday.
The Indian Railways will earn a profit of Rs 951 crore (Rs 9.51 billion) in 2009-10, down 93 per cent from the 2007-08 level.
You will see purified drinking water, focus on cleanliness, and ticketing reforms.
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Friday presented a populist interim Railway Budget in Parliament.
BJP termed the Rail Budget as disappointing and the concessions it gives an eyewash.
