Presenting the union budget 2017-18, finance minister Arun Jaitely announced 1.31 lakh crore for the capital and development expenditure of Indian Railways. A total of Rs 55,000 crore has been allocated for Railways in 2017-18 combined budget. Here’s everything you need to know:
 

• A Rastriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh with corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore for a period of five years will be created to prevent rail accidents.

• Indian Railways to bear remaining funds required for safety works from its own pocket.

• A total of 3,500 km new tracks to be commissioned.
   
• No service charge for buying tickets through IRCTC website.
  
• Indian Railways to focus on four areas—safety, capital works, cleanliness and financial accountability.
  
• A new metro-rail policy to create more jobs for youth.
   
• By 2019, all coaches will be fitted with bio toilets to prevent corrosion of tracks and maintain cleanliness.
   
• 17 new projects of construction and development.
   
• 500 railway stations to be made accessible for differently abled.
  
• A new single window service to be unveiled for all cleanliness related complaints.
   
• Three sewage treatment plants (STPs) to be set up.
   
•  Railways to focus more on tourism and pilgrimage.
   
•  Tariffs to be fixed on the basis of cost.
   
• IRCON, IRCTC will be listed on stock exchanges.