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Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi presented his maiden Indian Railway Budget for 2012-13 on March 14, 2012.
While laying a greater emphasis on travel safety, the budget has the highest ever annual plan outlay of Rs60,100 crore. Of this Rs15,000 crore (25 percent of the outlay) would be raised through market borrowing.
Annual plan 2012-13:
Total plan outlay of Rs60,100 crore, of which:
- Gross budgetary support: Rs24,000 crore
- Railway safety fund: Rs2,000 crore
- Internal resources: Rs18,050 crore
- Market borrowing: Rs15,000 crore
- PPP: Rs1,050 crore
Resource mobilisation:
- Indian Railway Station Development Corporation to be set up to redevelop stations through PPP mode.
- Logistics Corporation to be set up for development and management of existing railway goods sheds and multi-modal logistics parks.
- Private investment schemes for wagon leasing, sidings, private freight terminals, container train operations, rail connectivity projects (R3i and R2C-i) being made more attractive to PPP partners.
- New board member (PPP/Marketing) to be inducted.
Financial performance 2011-12:
- Loading target reduced by 23MT to 970MT.
- Gross traffic receipts fixed at Rs1,03,917 crore in RE, short by Rs2,322 crore over budget estimates.
- Ordinary working expenses fixed at Rs75,650 crore, an increase of Rs2,000 crore over budget estimates; pension payments also up by Rs1,000 crore.
- Current dividend liability to be fully discharged.
- Excess of Rs1,492 crore as against the budget amount of Rs5,258 crore.
- A loan of Rs3,000 crore extended by Ministry of Finance to meet requirement of safety related works under Development Fund.
- Operating Ratio of 95.0 percent as compared to 91.1 percent in budget estimates.
Budget estimates 2012-13:
- Estimated freight loading of 1,025MT, 55MT more than 2011-12.
- Passenger growth – 5.4 percent.
- Gross traffic receipts – Rs1,32,552 crore ie 27.6 percent increase over RE, 2011-12
- Ordinary working expenses – Rs84,400 crore.
- Appropriation to DRF at Rs9,500 crore and to Pension Fund at Rs18,500 crore.
- Dividend payment estimated at Rs6,676 crore.
- Loan of Rs3,000 crore taken in 2011-12 to be fully repaid along with interest.
- Operating Ratio estimated at 84.9 percent — an improvement envisaged by controlling
Tariff proposals:
- Setting up of Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority under consideration
- Passenger fares increased by:
- 2 paise per km for suburban and ordinary second class
- 3 paise per km for mail/express second class
- 5 paise per km for sleeper class
- 10 paise per km for AC chair car, AC 3 tier and first class
- 15 paise per km for AC 2 tier
- 30 paise per km for AC I
- Fares to be rounded off to the next nearest five rupees.
- Minimum fare and platform tickets to cost Rs5.
- Fuel adjustment component (FAC) in fares contemplated.
Greater emphasis is on safety. Toward this it is proposed to set up an independent Railway Safety Authority and phasing out level crossings over the next five years among other initiatives.
Other measures:
- Expansion of housekeeping schemes for trains.
- Introduction of Rail Bandhu on-board magazines on Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and Duronto trains.
- Introduction of coin / currency operated ticket vending machines.
- Introduction of alternate train accommodation system to accommodate waitlisted passengers on alternate trains.
- Introduction of model rake with world-class interiors.
- Upgradation of 929 stations as Adarsh stations including 84 stations proposed in 2012-13; 490 stations have been completed so far.
- Sale of PRS tickets through 151 post offices.
- Implementation of electronic transmission of RR for freight traffic.
- Introduction of satellite-based real time train information system (Simran) to provide train running information to passengers through SMS, internet, etc.
- On board passenger displays indicating next halt station and expected arrival time to be introduced.
- Specially designed coaches for differently-abled persons to be provided in each Mail / Express train.
- Engaging reputed professional agencies for pantry cars and base kitchens.
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