Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee said while presenting the Railway Budget 2009-10 that she would concentrate on improving the quality of services being provided by the Indian Railways and has left the fares unchanged [both Passenger & Commercial]. To improve the infrastructure of Indian Railways, the minister said that 50 stations had been identified to be developed on lines of world class stations will best available technology. Mamta Banerjee also said that 350 more stations were identified for upgradation in order to improve the services of Railways.
The minister also said that railways will also ensure one doctor in each train and ambulances will also be arranged to stand by on routes of important trains.
Railways will buy 18,000 new wagons, a development that will help companies like BEML and Titagarh Texmaco, etc. Also planning to setup a new factory to manufacture 5,000 coaches.
Railways to form expert panel for rail optic fibre network – RailTel.
Indian Railways will start 12 new non-stop trains with immidiate effect. These incude routes like Howrah-Delhi, Delhi-Chennai, Delhi-Allahabad and kolkota-Amritsar etc.
Gross budgetery support (GBS) for the Indian Railways by Rs 5,000 crore and will deploy internal resources at Rs 15,675 Crore in the current fiscal.