No passenger fare hike,Prabhu gives ticket to amenities

Suresh Prabhu focus on amenities and cleanliness

GN Bureau | February 26, 2015




Railway minister Suresh Prabhu presented the railway budget for 2015-16 on Thursday.

Highlights of the budget

No increase in passenger fares


Passengers can choose meals: e-catering introduced in 108 trains.

READ: Almighty Prabhu and five-point action plan to rescue the railways

Food can be ordered through IRCTC website while booking tickets

138 to be a nationwide helpline number for railway-related queries

‘Operation 5 minutes’ being launched so that passengers can buy unreserved tickets in five minutes


Special focus on cleanliness campaign, new department set up for the purpose

 

Replacement of 17,000 more toilets with bio-toilets to be undertaken this year

All India 24 X 7 helpline No 138; Toll free No.182 for security complaints

67% more funds allotted for passenger amenities


Book a ticket 120 days in advance (currently it is 60 days) 


SMS alert service to inform about the upgraded arrival & departure timings

Mobile phone charging facilities on general class will be introduced


Surveillance cameras on select mainline and ladies compartments

On-board entertainment on select Shatabdi Trains

Providing facility of online booking of wheelchair for senior citizens

Will increase quota of lower berths for senior citizens


Facility of self-operated lockers will be made available at all railway stations

24 to 26 coaches in certain identified trains, more general class coaches

Folding ladders to be introduced to climb upper berths in coaches

Railway cleaning to be outsourced

Lifts and escalators planned at major stations for easy movement of passengers

To introduce AC services on Mumbai suburban network


All newly manufactured coaches will now be Braille-enabled

Speed on 9 corridors to be increased from 120 kmph to 160 kmph

Delhi-Kolkata, Delhi-Mumbai journey will be completed overnight due to speeding of services

Open wi-fi to be available at 400 railway stations; proposal to revamp the station re-development scheme

Satellite railway terminals in major cities - 10 select stations

System of online application to be extended to all levels of recruitment

2015-16 planned budget at Rs 1.11 trillion

E-procurement value chain being expanded

Railways to move to paperless ticketing, to introduce hand held device for TTEs

Feasibility report of high speed train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad expected by mid-2015

Railways propose to move from preventive to predictive maintenance

Full text of Suresh Prabhu's Railway Budget 2015 speech: Read More

Poll: Are you satisfied with Railway Budget 2015?
 

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