Focus areas: Passenger amenities, cleanliness, financial discipline and consolidation
Passenger fares: Railways will continue with the fuel adjustment component, revising passenger fares every six months. Compared to the interim railway budget estimate, the passenger earnings estimate has been scaled down by Rs 610 crore. This financial year, the Railways will earn Rs 44,645 crore in revenue from passenger traffic, against the previous target of Rs 45,255 crore
New initiatives: Project management groups to expedite and coordinate projects with states; Railway University for technical and non-technical subjects; 4,000 women Railway Protection Force constables to be recruited; reverse-osmosis drinking water units; food courts at major stations for regional cuisines; cleanliness budget up 40 per cent compared to last year; special tourist trains on pilgrim circuits
New trains: 5 Jansadharan Trains; 5 premium trains; 6 AC express trains; 27 express trains; 8 passenger trains, 2 mainline electric multiple unit (Memu) services; and 5 diesel electric multiple unit (Demu) services; Rs 100 crore for diamond quadrilateral network of high-speed rail; bullet train proposed on Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector
Highest annual Plan outlay: Plan outlay of Rs 65,445 crore with budgetary support of Rs 30,100 crore; rail safety fund providing for Rs 2,200 crore; internal resources generating Rs 15,350 crore; market borrowing of Rs 11,790 crore; and public-private partnership initiatives to bring Rs 6,005 crore
Financial performance in 2013-14: At Rs 1,39,558 crore, gross traffic receipts increased 12.8 per cent compared to 2012-13. However, these were Rs 942 crore less than the revised Budget estimate. Ordinary working expenses stood at Rs 97,571 crore, in excess by Rs 511 crore
Targets for 2014-15: Operating ratio is estimated at 92.5 per cent; freight loading at 1,101 mt; passenger traffic expected to rise two per cent; total receipts at Rs 1,64,374 crore; and freight earnings Rs 1,05,770 crore
IT initiatives: E-procurement compulsory for all purchases exceeding Rs 25 lakh; e-ticketing to support 7,200 tickets a minute, and 120,000 simultaneous users; paperless offices in five years; Wi-Fi in A-1 and A category stations and select trains; real-time tracking of trains and rolling stock; mobile-based wake-up call system and destination arrival alert; office-on-wheel; internet and workstation facilities on select trains
