Rail Budget 'pragmatic', says Railwaymen's Federation

All India Railwaymen's Federation (AIRF) today said Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's maiden Rail Budget was "pragmatic".
"We appreciate budget proposal of not hiking fares and also not announcing any new train," AIRF General Secretary S Gopal Mishra told PTI.
He said any "fare hike would have caused hardship for the common man. Announcements of new trains would also create more burden on already saturated lines. Then there is a problem of manpower shortage."
AIRF had earlier opposed railways' FDI proposals, saying "it would lead to privatisation of railways." Referring to the proposal of attracting private investment, Mishra said, "As long as it does not mean privatisation we are okay with it."

Meanwhile, Antoine Caput, Vice President & Country Director of Thales India also welcomed the budget as "forward-looking".
"We, at Thales, find the Railway Budget a forward-looking one. We believe the announcements around increasing line capacities, enhancing safety, introducing high-speed rails and corridors leading to overall modernisation augur well for the country, its people and the industry. In particular, the proposal to install Train Protection Warning system (TPWS) and Train Collision Avoidance System on select routes is a major decision that will lead to a bright future..."

Thales is involved providing upgraded signalling system in railways.
Manish Rathi, CEO of RailYatri.In, said, "It is a progressive, passenger-centric budget. It focuses on passenger amenities - both at the station and in-transit, and will simplify train travel."

Rathi said the proposed Wi-Fi access at all major stations will help travellers access travel and services information easily while on the move.