Railway Budget 2012-13 Highlights

• Nominal hike in  train fares across all classes.
• Hike will be from two paisa/km to 30 paisa/km.
• Express train fare up by 5 paisa per km, 10 paisa per km for AC chair-car, 10 paisa per km for AC 3-tier, 15 paisa per km for 2-tier AC and 30 paisa per km for AC 1st class.
• Platform tickets will cost Rs 5.
• An independent Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority will be set up.
• 75 new express trains and 21 new passenger trains.
• Railways to recruit over one lakh people in the next financial year.
• Two new board members for marketing and safety.
• Railways will set up an independent railway safety authority.
• Unmanned level crossings would be abolished in the next five years.
• Railroad Separation Corporation of India to be set up to abolish unmanned LCs.
• Target of reducing accidents from 0.55 to 0.17 has been met.
• Sam Pitroda would head the railway modernization committee.
• Modernisation programs for the railways will need an investment of Rs 5.60 lakh crore.
• Operating ratio will be lowered from the current 95 percent to 84.5 percent in 2012-13, and to 74 percent by the terminal year of the 12th plan.
• Indian Railways Stations Development Corporation will redevelop stations and maintain them on pattern of airports.
• Special projects for the north-east and Jammu Kashmir.
• Rail Khel Ratna Award to be given to 10 sportspersons every  year.
• 725 km new lines, 700 km doubling, 800 km gauge conversion and 1,100 km electrification targeted in 2012-13.
• Rs 6,872 crore provided for new lines, Rs 3,393 crore for doubling, Rs 1,950 crore for gauge conversation, Rs 828 crore for electrification.
• Market borrowing through IRFC at Rs 50,000 cr needed in 2012.
• Modernize rolling stock via fresh purchases of wagons, engines.
• Gross budgetary support for Railways for 2012-13 Plan fixed at Rs 24,000 crore.
• 19,000 km of railway tracks, which cater to 80 per cent of traffic, to be upgraded.
• Create  1000 stations through PPP route in 5 years.
• Longer and heavier freight trains will be run.
• Double decker container trains to be introduced.
• New lines to be laid in under-developed parts.
• GPS use in railways to be enhanced.
• New lines for Kolkata Metro.
• Agartala will be linked to Akura in Bangladesh.
• All meter gauge, narrow gauge sections to be made broad gauge, except heritage lines, by end of 12th Five Year Plan.
• 14 new rail line survey to be taken up in 2012-13.
• Logistics Corporation will be created for providing logistics solutions for rail users.
• Annual Plan for Railway for 2012-13 of Rs 60,100 crore.
• Expansion of suburban rail networks and addition of more services in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

Key figures from Railway Budget 2012-13

Figures in Thousand Crore Rupees