Rail budget to focus on amenities

RUN UP TO BUDGET 2006

Lalu plans modern waiting halls, mechanised cleaning and other services for passengers.

The upcoming Railways Budget will emphasise on passenger amenities with an annual outlay of Rs 400 crore on facilties like modern waiting halls, mechanised cleaning and other services.

In addition, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad will also focus on modernisation of freight wagons and capacity augmentation on high density routes.

The upgrade of these amenities will target all station at the metros during the next financial year. Prasad's letter on policy to the railways' brass, which is currently framing the Budget, directed that the outlay on this head be "doubled or trebled".

Sources in the Rail Bhavan told Business Standard that projects for increasing capacity on high density routes should stress port connectivity and strengthen the iron ore route that passes through central India.

Prasad has also asked railway officials to focus on increasing production of AC-III tier coaches, given the rise in passenger traffic in this class. In addition, stations should be upgraded to accommodate 24-coach trains.

The wagon modernisation drive will mean that the railways will look at ways for inducting special wagons for items like steel coils and rods.

"There is a need for securing market share with respect to these items. A policy for allowing private companies to import such wagons may be announced," a ministry official said.

In addition, Prasad has also said the process of inducting steel and aluminum wagons should be expedited. He has said the wagon capacity should be increased to 70-75 tonnes from about 63 tonnes at present.