New Delhi: Following are highlights of the regular Railway Budget for 2014-15 (Apr-Mar), presented by Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda in
Parliament today:
* Tariff policy adopted so far lacked practical approach
* Require 1.82 trln rupees to complete 359 projects
* The more projects we add the thinner we spread
ourselves
* Bore 23 paise/passenger per km loss in FY14
* Freight rates revised periodically to compensate for
losses
* Past focus has been on sanctioning projects, not execution
* Incomplete projects need 1.82 trln rupee invest
* Decline in freight traffic is revenue forgone
* Freight rates consistently hiked to offset fare losses
* Need 5 trln rupees/year for next 10 yrs for ongoing projects
* Sustaining social duty hard without sacrificing efficiency
* Spent 94 paise for every 1 rupee in FY14
* FY15 estimate surplus 6.02 bln rupees
* FY14 operating ratio 94%
* FY14 gross receipts 1.39 trln rupees
* FY14 operating ratio at 94%
* FY14 gross traffic receipt 1.39 trln rupees
* Sustaining social obligations not possible beyond a
point
* Currently railways caries only 31% of total freight in
India
* Indian Rail backbone of supply chain of defence establishment
* India Rail carries over 1 bln tn freight per year
* Vast tracts of hinterland still wait for connectivity
* Have 12,500 trains carrying 23 mln passengers/day
* Aim to be largest freight carrier in the world
* Feel there’s solution for challenges faced by railway
* Flooded with requests for new trains