Inviting private investment, Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday said a transparent system is being put in place to facilitate it and moves are afoot to revamp the ministry's public-private-partnership (PPP) cell.
Cement may get costlier by Rs 7 per bag of 50 kg because of the hike in freight rate by 5.79 per cent in Railway Budget today, but manufacturers of the building material said a final call will be taken after the Union Budget.
The move can help mop up about Rs 1.2 lakh every day for the purpose.
After a five-day waiting game, Railways Minister Dinesh Tiwari has resigned, according to Trinamool Congress sources. Tiwari met with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, and expressed his willingness to quit.
'Duronto' trains, a non-stop service connecting metros and major state capitals, was announced on Friday by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Passengers can now buy reserved tickets from 5,000 post offices, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said presenting the Railway Budget on Friday.
'Wherever in the world there is political instability, those countries are beset with severe crises today. But India is in a much better position than the rest of the world due to the decisions taken by my government in the national interest,' President Droupadi Murmu said in her address to both Houses of Parliament.
He said that efforts were being made either to close or man such crossings in the next two years.
Travelling by rail in India was once a pleasure, but has now become a forbidding challenge.
The Re 1 cut in diesel prices could lead Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to announce a reduction in passenger fares in the forthcoming Railway Budget.
The Congress on Thursday sought to downplay the Dinesh Trivedi episode, saying it is an internal affair of the government and it could not be discussed outside.
Diesel prices for the Railways have come down from Rs 60.08 a litre in June to Rs 50.51 a litre now.
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Wednesday said next year's railway budget would have surprise content and promised that there would not be any hike in passenger fares and additional surcharge.
On an annual basis, we'll seek out solutions to Indian Railways' most critical problems through 'innovation challenge': Suresh Prabhu
The projects include commissioning of new lines, gauge conversion and doubling of existing tracks in certain busy stretches.
In Jammu & Kashmir, the minister proposed to set up a bridge factory.
The Railways on Monday announced that Tatkal reservation on trains will open only two days before the journey, instead of the past practice of when Tatkal tickets were available five days in advance.
A smiling Rabri Devi, who watched the presentation of the Railway Budget on television, said that it was a best ever Railway Budget. "There is little doubt about it," she claimed.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced Yuva air-conditioned (AC) trains to be introduced for the youth whereby one would have to pay Rs 299 for distances upto 1,500 km and Rs 399 for distances upto 2,500 km. The Railways will also start non-stop trains, Turonta for the first time in history. The 12 trains include - Howrah-Mumbai, Chennai-Delhi, Delhi-Pune, Howrah-Delhi, Kolkata-Amritsar, Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Delhi-Jammu, Delhi-Allahabad.
This was on the expected lines after Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee played a major role in getting the former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi resign.
With a view to reducing its dependence on conventional sources of energy, Railways is looking to harness solar power in a big way and is likely to include a plan for the same in its upcoming budget.
'The economy has to become the government's No. 1 priority, which it is not at the moment,' says T N Ninan.
'There is tension between the zones all the time.'
Rlys plan 50 garib raths, 450 AC trains; SPVs planned for wagon manufacture for freight corridors.
Improvement in passenger amenities and better interiors would also figure in the budgetary proposals.
RLDA is a statutory authority established by the ministry of railways for generating non-fare revenue from railway land.
Slamming the Union budget as 'insipid' and lacking in stimulus for growth, the Congress on Saturday said it does not address the main issue of unemployment and describes the mindset of the government.
The railways have been able to project improvement in finances.
.jpg)
Railway Board Chairman Arunendra Kumar said the discussions at the day-long meet involved an overview of five models of participative policy, framework of engineering, procurement and construction contracts and sectoral guidelines for foreign and domestic investment.
The Railway Minister sanctioned Ganguly's request for utilising the Railway cricket complex in Kolkata for an academy.
The Union Minister of Railways, Lalu Prasad while presenting the Interim Railway Budget 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha on Friday, announced the introduction of 43 new trains which include four Garib Raths.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee will present the Rail Budget on July 1.
The Railway Board issued a notification a few months ago under which divisional regional managers of certain zones were given financial powers to levy a surcharge from passengers who insist on seeking reservation for lower berths.
The Budget is expected to make some key announcements, including relief package for farmers, poor and sops for the middle-class.
BJP member Ananth Kumar was debating Mamata Banerjee's promise to upgrade 309 stations as 'model' ones, of which 137 were in West Bengal. Intervening, Lalu Prasad Yadav said, "World-class station banana to ek soch hai. Yeh banna to hai nahi. Aap pareshan kyon ho rahe hain? In this connection, he said during his tenure also he had proposed to upgrade Patna station which never happened.
From filling vacancies in government jobs to providing a minimum support income of Rs 72,000 per year for the poor families, the party went all out to woo the voters.
Three new non-stop Duronto trains will be launched on Wednesday, the last day of the current financial year. They are the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar, New Delhi-Howrah, and Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Jammu Tawi Duronto expresses.
The Minister of Railways, Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced several concessions for the students in the Railway Budget for 2009-10.
Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu tabled the Railway Budget on Thursday
We have only rationalised the freight rates, says the minister.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances