Railway Budget 2014: A major makeover is in the offing

By Nithya Nair @india.com | July 02, 2014

The Railway budget is set for a major revamping with some major amendments and additions to it. Although lot of plans have been announced by the railway ministry, here are some of the expectations that the common man has from the Railway Budget this time.
Bullet trains
Passengers may be now able enjoy high-speed travelling with the new government focusing to get some relief to the passengers who use Indian Railways daily. They are on the way of materialzing Narendra Modi’s dream of constructing a “diamond quadrilateral” of high speed trains and ensuring quality facilities for passengers. The railways are currently working on two proposals, firstly introducing trains with speed of more than 300 kmph on dedicated corridors and secondly running trains at speed of 130-150 kmph on the existing tracks. The railway minister could possibly allocate Rs 300 crore for the project.
Solar power
A new initiative is expected to crack open under the new railway minister during this Budget. With the national transport provider inclining more on clean energy through solar power, this new plan is expected to cement soon. The minister will soon announce the installation of panels on rooftops of railways platforms, colonies and other railways land to generate the required amount of solar energy. Although, this can bring a major difference in the railway fuel bill which is around Rs 28, 000 crore, the cost of the transporter can be another issue.
Liquified Natural gas for locomotives
To reduce fuel costs, railway minister will be introducing the usage of liquefied natural gas and ethanol-blended diesel in locomotives.
Safety and security of passengers
Considering the frequent accidents of derailment and collisions in Indian Railways, the finance ministry will also be focusing on repairing the outdated and broken rail network in the Budget this time. Safety measures to ensure that the passengers have a safe journey will be given prior importance. There focus is on ‘Four S’- safety, service, security and speed.
Although there are a lot of expectations from the Railway Budget with a major reshuffling in its functioning, only once the budget has been presented , we can have a complete view of it.
Modified Date: July 02, 2014 12:06 PM