Railway Budget 2015-16 of India

Suresh Prabhu presented the Railway Budget 2015-16 on 26th February 2015, which is the first full budget of the BJP/ Modi Government.

BJP/ Modi Government's Goals for Railway Budget 2015-16

Goal1: Increase connectivity

• Focus on better network and high speed trains
• We cannot deliver everything in 1 year

Goal2: Safety

• Make railways a safer travel

Goal3: Modernize its infrastructure

• Capacity improvement main focus : 12 million to 30 million
• Increase in track lengths by a few kilometers

Goal 4: Financial Sustainability

• Banks and pension funds are keen to invest in Railways

Goal5: Setting standards of governance and transparency

• 8.5 lakh crore investement

11 major Thrust areas of action plan of Prabhu's Railway Budget 2015-16:

customer services:

1. No increase in passenger fare.
2. Cleanliness utmost priority with the slogan being "Swachh Rail, Swachh Bharat". New department for cleanliness of stations and trains.
3. 17,000 old toilets to be replaced by bio toilets
4. 138 - 24x7 All India helpline number for customers to be activated

Ticketing:

1. provison to be made to ensure that passenger travelling without ticket can purchase it in 5 mins through an online portal or app.
2. system to purchase ticket after one time registration.
3. Integrated ticketing to be expanded on routes.
4. smart cards and other payment systems to be implemented.
5. Food can be ordered via IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) while booking tickets. Working with many canteens
6. Set up base kitchen on the identified locations to serve high quality food


7. availability of clean drinking water to people at nominal cost at all stations
8. extending facility of sms on mobile to use as travel ticket
9. single portal with simplest navigation
10. sms alerts to inform about train timings
11. surveillance cameras for women security
12. mobile phone charging facility in general coaches with increase in number of points
13. free wifi to all category A and B stations
14. Online booking of wheel chairs for senior citizens
15. Advance booking days to increase to 180 days
16. allotment for passenger amenities to increase by 67%
17. Revamping stations in terms of cleanliness, wider tracks etc
18. Existing Redevelopment of stations for which work is in process will continue and for the remaining stations the design proposal for revamp will be invited and bidding will be done
19. Satellite railway terminals in all major cities. 10 select stations to be picked up for this

Improve connectivity

1. Negotiations on for funding of new projects
2. Enhance connectivity to North Eastern states
3. surveys for 4 more freight corridors to be done this year
4. 2 dedicated freight corridor projects gathering pace
5. freight handling capacity to be increased
6. multimodal transport across India


7. Liberalise various freight schemes
8. Review of wagon leasing and other schemes
9. More high speed rails. Feasibility study is in process
10. speed to increase from 160 to 400 km/h.

Safety

1. Condolences to families of all those who have been killed in accidents
2. Plan for unmanned crossings.
3. AV warnings at all unmanned stations
4. 3430 unmanned crossings to be removed
5. Train protection warning and train collision avoiding systems to be installed at the earliest.

Technology Innovation

1. Setup innovation council with 4 research centers
2. Technology portal to setup to invite innovative solutions
3. Integrated mobile system to be made available
4. Barcoded, RFID tracking of parcels and freight
5. Preventive to proactive:

Revamp PPP cell in ministry to make it more result oriented

1. Participative model to be made more efficient
2. technology intensive and new projects for ports and mines

Human resource strategy

1. Develop HRD with global standards
2. repair of staff quarters
3. improved delivery of health services to employees
4. full fledged university for staff
5. 4 holiday homes for the staff

Energy and sustainability

1. Focus on environment management
2. solar plans to be setup
3. water conservation plants to setup at major water system
4. water harvesting to be extended
5. New solar plants on anvil
6. Power tariff deals to be renegotiated
7. fire alert system in trains

Transparency and government initiative

1. system of online application for 2 recruitment projects
2. tap on corruption
3. e-procurement value chain to be expanded to all divisions
4. mechanism to setup performance standards
5. encourage self employment : launch program to sell handmade products by the people specially women
6. To begin Incredible rail for Incredible India
7. Kisan yatra: Special financial scheme for training farmers