Railway Budget 2009 July 4, 2009

Railway Budget 2009 –Highlights

Minister – Mamta Banerjee

1. Improvement in passenger amenities
2. Indian railways and it will set up a panel to look at innovative financing for unviable projects
3. 3.      “The old mindset of economic viability should be substituted by social viability,” Mamta Banerjee
4. Availability of janta khana to in railway stations.
5. Develop 50 stations as world class stations. 309 will be developed as ideal stations.
6. 6.      Railways would provide one doctor in every long distance train and introduce infotainment services for Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express
7. Railways will sell tickets from 5,000 post offices across the country.
   “Special facilities will be provided at 309 stations and economic viability will not be the only index,”
8. For the first time Railways would introduce 50 mobile rail ticket vans and air-conditioned double decker coaches will for intercity commuters.
9. The Railways will introduce ATMs on 200 mid and small sized stations across the country and passengers can also avail SMS updates for wait-listing.

10.  Toilets will be provided for trains even for journeys below two hours.

11.  She rolled out ‘Izzat’: a scheme for giving privelages to people with income levels below Rs 1500 per month. Also media persons will get a discount of 50% on their bookings.

12.  The scheme wherein students get discounts on their metro passes has been extended and the discount increased to 60%.

13.  Minimum Tatkal fee has been reduced from Rs 150 to Rs 100. Tatkal fee will be a percentage of the fair.

14.  Meanwhile, on a macro level the railways’ will put land to productive use along its freight corridor and will set up a 1000-mega watt power plant.