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Highlights of Rail Budget 1999-2000

Following are the highlights of the Railway Budget for 1999-2000, presented by Railway Minister Nitish Kumar in the Lok Sabha today.

• freight loading of 450 million tonnes
• passenger traffic expected to grow 8.5 per cent
• gross traffic receipts estimated at Rs 324.110 billion, including realisation of outstandings
• ordinary working expenses estimated at Rs257.40 billion, an increase of 10.1 per cent
• total working expenses estimated at Rs302.83 billion
• net railway revenue projected at Rs25.58 billion
• dividend to general revenues increased to Rs19.14 billion as compared to Rs17.52 billion in revised estimates
• increase of 4 per cent uniformly on freight rates of all commodities
• increase in classification of washed coal and caustic soda liquor
• concession of 25 per cent in freight rates for traffic up to 50km
• no increase in second-class fares of mail/express/ordinary trains and second-class season tickets
• keeping second-class fares of mail/express trains as base, fares for air-conditioned classes and sleeping accommodation to be rationalised based on comfort levels.
• fares of Rajdhani/Shatabdi trains to be revised by making suitable adjustments
• minimum distance for charge to be 100km for all the upper classes
• 4 per cent increase to be applied on all parcel and luggage scales
• proposals to yield Rs9 billion -- Rs7 billion from freight and Rs2 billion from coaching traffic (passengers, parcel and luggage).
• 1999-2000 declared 'Passenger Year'
• one model station with upgraded terminal facilities to be set up in each division
• improved passenger amenities to be provided on 30 mail/express trains apart from Rajdhani/Shatabdi trains
• efforts to make Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi and and Madras free of touts
• customer care institute to be opened shortly in Delhi for training frontline staff
• passenger reservation systems of Delhi, Secunderabad, Calcutta and Bombay already networked, Madras to be linked by March 31, 1999
• computerised monitoring of passenger complaints started on 150 stations
• 'interactive voice response system' extended to 44 stations
• Justice G C Garg of the Punjab and Haryana high court to head one-man commission to enquire into Khanna accident
• walkie-talkie sets for emergency contact between driver and guard to be provided on all passenger trains running on 'A' and 'B' routes.
• walkie-talkie sets to be provided on goods trains in second phase in 1999-2000.
• track circuiting from 'fouling mark' to 'fouling mark' to be completed on all stations of A, B and C routes by March 31.
• pilot project of radio-based automatic train control system to be taken up on the Delhi-Mathura section
• rail testing to be intensified. Self-propelled ultrasonic rail testing (SPURT) card being procured
• separate fund proposed for funding construction of rail overbridges and underpasses and converting unmanned level crossings
• a new plan head being created to focus attention on safety at level crossings
• assistance sought from members of Parliament to recommend manning of level crossings through MPs' local area development scheme; railways to match with equal number from their own resources.
• functioning of railway recruitment boards streamlined; recruitment process made more transparent for Group C staff
• ban on sale of cigarettes and bidis on railway platforms and trains from June 5, 1999
• Bombay Rail Development Corporation to mobilise resources through commercial utilisation of land/air space
• fourteen new trains to be introduced in 1999-2000
• frequency of four new trains to be increased
• runs of 11 trains to be extended
• EMU and DMU services to be started at four sections respectively
• plan outlay proposed at Rs97 billion
• budgetary support increased to Rs25.40 billion
• priority of various projects fixed with Cabinet's approval for better investment
• suburban transport network of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras will be expanded further
• minimum penalty for ticketless travel increased from Rs50 to Rs250.
• concessions for handicapped persons with escort extended to higher classes
• accredited press correspondents to get 50 per cent concession in all classes up to 30,000 km per annum
• passenger reservation system terminals to be extended to rail agents on experimental basis

Steep fare, freight hike to net Rs9 billion for railways
Fourteen new trains to be introduced
'Freight rate hike will lead to inflation'

Budget 1999-2000

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