Following are the highlights of the Railway Budget for 2015-16 presented by Minister Suresh Prabhu in the Lok Sabha Thursday:
* Investment of Rs.8.5 lakh crore in next five years
* Over 20,00 suggestions received on improving facilities
* Four goals: Deliver sustained improvement in customer facilities, Make railways safer means of travel, expand substantially, make Indian Railways self-sustainable
* Budget part of trilogy: White paper already tabled, this budget, vision document soon
* Railways backbone of national connectivity
* Will partner with private sector to improve last mile connectivity
* Railways unique integrator of modern India
* Facilities not improved substantially over past few decades
* Vicious cycle of under-investment must end
* 1,219 sections on network - most of them overworked
* In next five years, intention to substantially augment capacity
