Highlights of the Railway Budget - 2013-14

Thrust 

1. Safety; 2. Consolidation; 3. Passenger Amenities; 4. Fiscal Discipline.

Some Achievements/Initiatives

 IR enters the one billion tonne Select Club joining Chinese, Russian and US Railways;

 IR also joins Select Club running freight trains of more than 10000 tonne load;

 ‘Fuel Adjustment Component’ concept to be implemented linking tariffs with movement of fuel prices;

 Target of Rs 1000 crore each fixed for Rail Land Development Authority and IR Station Development Corporation to be raised through PPP in 2013-14;

 New fund – Debt Service Fund – to be set up to meet committed liabilities of debt servicing for  WB and JICA loans for  DFC and other future liabilities.

Measures for improving Safety & Security

 Making a Corporate Safety Plan for a ten year period (2014-2024).

 Elimination of 10797 level crossings during the 12^th Plan and no addition of new LCs to the IR system henceforth.

 Introduction of Train Protection Warning System on Automatic Signalling Systems. 

 Rigorous trials of the indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System.

 Using 60 kg rails, 260 meter long welded rail panels and improved flash butt welding technology.

 Introduction of 160/200 kmph Self Propelled Accident Relief Trains. 

 Induction of crash worthy LHB coaches with anti-climb feature.

 Rehabilitation of identified 17 distressed bridges over next one year.

 Provision of comprehensive fire and smoke detection systems.

 Provision of portable fire extinguishers in Guard-cum-Brake Vans, AC Coaches and Pantry Cars in all trains.

 Use of fire retardant furnishing materials in coaches.

 Measures initiated to deal with elephant related accidents.

 Four companies of women RPF personnel set up and another 8 to be set up to strengthen the security of rail passengers, especially women   2passengers. 

 Recruitment to RPF with 10% vacancies reserved for women.

Rail Based Industries

New factories/workshops to be set up:

 a new Forged Wheel Factory at Rae Bareli in collaboration with Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited.

 a Greenfield Mainline Electrical Multiple Units (MEMU) manufacturing facility at Bhilwara (Rajasthan) in collaboration with State Government and BHEL.

 a Coach Manufacturing Unit in Sonepat District (Haryana) in collaboration with State Government.

 a Midlife Rehabilitation Workshop at Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) in collaboration with the State Government.

 Bikaner and Pratapgarh workshops to undertake POH of BG wagons.

 a workshop for repair and rehabilitation of motorized bogies at Misrod (Madhya Pradesh).

 a new wagon maintenance workshop in Kalahandi (Odisha).

 a modern signaling equipment facility at Chandigarh through PPP route.

Green Initiatives

 Setting up of Railway Energy Management Company (REMC) to harness potential of solar and wind energy.

 Setting up of 75 MW capacity windmill plants and energizing 1000 level crossings with solar power.

 Deployment of new generation energy efficient electric locomotives and EMUs.

 More usage of agro-based and recycled paper and ban use of plastic in catering. 

Passenger/Rail Users’ Amenities

 Identification of 104 important stations for immediate attention to all aspects related to cleanliness.

 Progressive extension of bio-toilets on trains.

 Provision of concrete aprons on platforms with mechanized cleaning   3 facilities.

 Extension of On Board Housekeeping Scheme and Clean Train Stations to more stations and trains.

 Extension of Unreserved Ticketing  System (UTS), Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs), Coin-operated Ticket Vending Machines (CO-TVMs) and schme of Jan-Sadharan Ticket Booking Sevaks (JTBSs).

 Setting up of six more Rail Neer bottling plants at Vijayawada, Nagpur, Lalitpur, Bilaspur, Jaipur and Ahmedabad.

 Pilot project on select trains to facilitate passengers to contact on board staff through SMS/phone call/e-mail for coach cleanliness and real time feedback.

 8-10 more mechanized laundries for quality washing of linen. 

 Provision of announcement facility and electronic display boards in trains.

 Providing free Wi-Fi facilities on several trains.

 Upgrading another 60 stations as Adarsh Stations in addition to 980 already selected.

 Associate voluntary organizations for providing first aid services at railway stations.

 Introduction of an ‘Anubhuti’ coach in select trains to provide excellent ambience and latest facilities and services. 

 179 escalators and 400 lifts at A-1 and other major stations to be installed facilitating elderly and differently abled.

 Affixing Braille stickers with layout of coaches including toilets, provision of wheel chairs and battery operated vehicles at more stations and making coaches wheel-chair friendly.

 Some JTBS to be reserved for disabled people. 

 Curbing malpractices in reserved tickets including tatkal scheme.

 Third party audit and tie up with food testing laboratories for food quality control; ISO certified state-of-the-art base kitchens to be set up in railway premises. 

 Centralized Catering Services Monitoring Cell set up with a toll free number (1800 111 321)

Rail Tourism

 Launching multi-modal travel package in cooperation with Jammu & Kashmir state government.

 Issuing ‘Yatra Parchis’ to pilgrims travelling by rail to Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine at the time of railway ticket booking.  

 Introduction of an educational tourist train with concessional fares - ‘Azadi Express’ – to connect places associated with freedom movement.

 Introduction of executive lounge at  7 more stations, namely, Bilaspur, Visakhapatnam, Patna, Nagpur, Agra, Jaipur and Bengaluru. IT Initiatives

 ‘Aadhar’ to be used for various passenger and staff related services.

 Internet ticketing from 0030 hours to 2330 hours.

 e-ticketing through mobile phones.

 Project of SMS alerts to passengers providing updates on reservation status.

 Covering larger number of trains under Real Time Information System.

 Next-Gen e-ticketing system to be rolled out capable of handling 7200 tickets per minute against 2000 now & 1.20 lakh users simultaneously against 40,000 now. 

Financial Performance 2012-13 

 Loading target revised to 1007 MT against 1025 MT in BE. 

 Gross Traffic Receipts fixed at  `1,25,680 cr in RE, short by  `6,872 cr over Budget Estimates.  

 Ordinary Working Expenses retained at BE level of `84,400 cr; pension payments increased by `1,500 cr to `20,000 cr.

 Dividend liability to government to be fully discharged.  

 ‘Excess’ of `10,409 cr as against the budget amount of `15,557 cr.

 Loan of `3,000 cr taken in 2011-12 fully repaid along with interest.  

 Operating Ratio of 88.8% as compared to 94.9% in 2011-12.

Budget Estimates 2013-14

 Freight loading of 1047 MT, 40 MT more than 2012-13.

 Passenger growth - 5.2%.  

 Gross Traffic Receipts  - `1,43,742 cr i.e. an increase of 18,062 cr over RE, 2012-13.

 Ordinary Working Expenses - `96,500 cr.  

 Appropriation to DRF at `7,500 cr and to Pension Fund at `22,000 cr.  

 Dividend payment estimated at `6,249 cr.

 Operating Ratio to be 87.8%.

 Fund Balances to exceed `12,000 cr.  

Annual Plan 2013-14

 Highest ever plan outlay of `63363 cr. 

o Gross Budgetary Support - `26,000 cr 

o Railway Safety Fund  - `2,000 cr 

o Internal Resources   - `14,260 cr. 

o EBR - Market Borrowing - `15,103 cr;   

o EBR - PPP    - `6,000 cr. 

 500 km new lines, 750 km doubling, 450 km gauge conversion targeted in 2013-14. 

Fiscal Discipline

 No supplementary Demands for Grants introduced in Monsoon Session or Winter Session of Parliament;

 Loan of `3,000 cr repaid fully;

 347 projects prioritized with assured funding;

 Operationally important projects and also last mile projects to receive liberal funding;

 A new fund – Debt Service Fund – set up to meet committed liabilities;

 Stringent targets for efficiencies in maintenance of rolling stock and fuel consumption;

 Target to create fund balance of `30,000 cr in the terminal year of the 12^th Plan.

Staff Welfare

 Fund allocation for staff quarters enhanced to Rs 300 cr.

 Provision of hostel facilities for single women railway employees at all divisional headquarters.

 Extending treatment facility in case of medical emergency to RELHS beneficiaries to all cities in hospitals empanelled with CGHS and Railways. 

 Condition of barracks to be improved for RPF personnel.

 Provision of water closets and air conditioners in the locomotive cabs to avoid stress being faced by loco pilots.

Training and Recruitment 

 1.52 lakh vacancies being filled up  this year out  of which 47000 vacancies have been earmarked for weaker sections and physically challenged.

 Imparting skills to the youth in railway related trades in 25 locations.  

 Setting up of a multi-disciplinary training institute at Nagpur for training in rail related electronics technologies.

 Setting up of a centralized training  institute at Secunderabad – Indian Railways Institute of Financial Management (IRIFM).

 Five fellowships in national universities to be  instituted to motivate students to study and undertake research on IR related issues at M.Phil and Ph.D. levels.

 Setting up of a chair at TERI promoting railway related research to reduce carbon footprint.

Sports

 Railway Teams won 9 National Championships in 2012.

 Railway Sports Promotion Board awarded the ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar – 2012’.

Concessions

 Complimentary card passes to recipients of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna & Dhyan Chand Awards to be valid for travel by 1st Class/2nd AC. 

 Complimentary card passes to Olympic Medalists and Dronacharya Awardees for travel in Rajdhani/Shatabadi Trains. 

 Travel by Duronto Trains permitted on all  card passes issued to sportpersons having facility of travel by Rajdhani/Shatabadi Trains.

 Facility of complimentary card passes valid in 1st= class/2nd AC extended to parents of posthumous unmarried  awardees of Mahavir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra, President’s Police Medal for Gallantry and Police Medal for Gallantry.

 Police Gallantry awardees to be granted one complimentary pass every year for travel along with one companion in 2^nd AC in Rajdhani/Shatabadi Trains.

 Passes for freedom fighters to be renewed once in three years. 

Trains 

 67 new Express trains to be introduced. 

 26 new passenger services, 8 DEMU services and 5 MEMU services to be introduced. 

 Run of 57 trains to be extended. 

 Frequency of 24 trains to be increased.   

Metropolitan Projects/Sub-urban Services 

 Introduction of first AC EMU rake on Mumbai suburban network in 2013-14.

 Introduction of 72 additional services in Mumbai and 18 in Kolkata.

 Rake length increased from 9 cars to 12 cars for 80 services in Kolkata and 30 services in Chennai.

Tariff Proposals

 Proposal for setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority formulated and at inter-ministerial consultation stage.

 Fuel Adjustment Component (FAC) linked revision for freight tariff to be implemented from 1^st April 2013.

 Supplementary charges for super fast  trains, reservation fee, clerkage charge, cancellation charge and tatkal charge marginally increased. 

 Enhanced reservation fee abolished.

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