NEW DELHI, INDIA: Following are the highlights of the rail budget for 2005-06 presented to parliament by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, in which he has refrained from across the board increase in passenger and freight rates:

- 46 new trains to be introduced, no hike in parcel rates.

- Freight growth to be higher than economic growth in 2005-06.

- Railways to initiate a gamut of commercial, operational and investment oriented initiatives in the freight sector to improve its share in the transport sector.

- 7.67 percent growth in loading in the first nine months, revised target for freight loading raised from 580 million tonnes to 600 million tonnes.

- Freight earnings target increased from Rs. 287.45 billion to Rs. 304.50 billion.

- Target of 396 billion tonne kilometres for 2009 to be surpassed in 2004-05 itself.

- Growth in originating passenger traffic around six percent compared to budget target of three percent.

- Growth of 8.3 percent in total earnings to end December 2004 as compared to 4.1 percent growth registered in previous financial year.

- Total earnings in the revised estimates fixed at Rs. 466.35 billion - increase of Rs.18.38 billion over budget estimates.

- Operating ratio to improve to 91.2 percent against the budgeted 92.6 percent.

- Plans to improve throughput through increased productivity and efficiency.

- Wagon turnaround to be brought down to five days in the near future from about six days in the current year.

- Terminal incentive scheme including cash incentives, aimed at reduction of detention at terminals, to be formulated in consultation with industry.

- Incentives to customers adopting mechanized loading and round the clock working.

- Freight customers to be encouraged to develop their private sidings through cost sharing.

- Scheme for development of Integrated Warehouse Complexes to provide single window service to customers.

- Organizations other than Container Corp also being considered for running container trains, to meet the growing demand.

- Introduction of double stack container trains on one of the identified routes connecting north India with Gujarat ports being considered.

- Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) being set up to develop surplus railway land for generating additional resources.

- RailTel to exploit its upgraded fibre optic network to increase its revenue earning capability by providing various broadband services.

- Additional leasing of parcel space in certain nominated trains to attract more traffic.

- Vacant compartment of guard in front of SLR coach also to be leased.

- Short-term lease and lower lease price under consideration for trains.

- Countrywide extension of universal enquiry number - 139 - at local call rates.

- Introduction of booking of tickets through landline phones also, in addition to mobile phones.

- Internet booking timings extended and will be from 4 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. without a break.

- Reservation status to be made available in advance.

- Display of vacant berth position and renewal of season tickets on Internet for Mumbai suburban passengers.

- State-of-the-art timetable module under development; to be web-enabled in coming year.

- Computerization of Railway Claims Tribunals, Goods Refund Offices for online registration and quick settlement of claims; claims management system to be web-enabled.

- Five-year Integrated Railway Modernization Plan at a cost of Rs. 240 billion formulated.

- Plan envisages running of 150 kilometres per hour passenger bullet trains and 100 kilometres per hour freight trains on the golden quadrilateral and its diagonals.

- Accounting reforms process initiated and modification made in the accounting system so that true nature of lease transactions and their contribution to railway revenues is reflected.

- Rationalization of capital structure of Indian Railways.

- Establishment of a chair for studies in railway finance at one of the Indian Institutes of Management.

- Development of new vendors for healthy competition; procurement to be made more economical.

- Progressive reduction in number of consequential train accidents.

- Execution of works sanctioned under SRSF progressing satisfactorily.

- Medical relief trains and trains carrying equipment for restoration upgraded for operation at 100 kilometres per hour.

- Deployment of state-of-the- art modern track recording car for better monitoring and maintenance of track.

- Recruitment drive for filling up vacancies in Railway Protection Force (RPF) and modernization programme of RPF in full swing for improving security to passengers and their belongings.

- Full concession in second class extended to unemployed youth appearing for interviews of state government jobs.

- Fifty percent concession in second class to farmers and milk producers for travel to national level institutes for training/learning better agricultural practices and dairy farming.

- Seventy-five percent concession in second class to rural school students in government schools, once in a year, for study tour.

- Seventy-five percent concession in second class to girls from rural areas studying in government schools for attending national level entrance examination for professional courses.

- Transportation of relief material on priority and free of cost in notified cases, free second class transportation to stranded persons for their evacuation.

-Fifty percent concession in the normal tariff rates for carrying bodies of patients who die while undergoing treatment in major government hospitals.

- Special drive for ensuring appropriate representation of scheduled tribes and other backward castes in rail services.

-Twenty-five percent reservation in licences of small catering units at 'A', 'B' and 'C' category stations and 49.5 percent reservation at other categories of stations for under privileged categories.

-Twenty-five percent reservation to under-privileged categories in new bookstall policy.

- Provision for sale of dairy products under catering policy.

- Clean Train Station System to be implemented on at least one station of each zonal railway in 2005-06.

- 54 pairs of new train services to be introduced

- Run of 28 pairs of trains to be extended.

- Increase in frequency of 10 pairs of trains and speeding up of 30 trains.

- About 400 additional coaches to be deployed in well-patronized trains.

- In addition to 72 surveys announced in last Budget, 20 more surveys sanctioned this year. Of these 27 surveys completed, rest in progress.

- In 2005-06, 41 new surveys to be taken up and 17 others to be updated.

- Setting up of a wheel manufacturing plant at Chapra, Bihar, included in budget.

- Plan outlay Rs. 153.49 billion, consisting of Rs. 72.30 billion from general exchequer and Rs 7.11 billion from Central Road Fund, Rs.47.19 billion from internal resources and Rs 34.00 billion through market borrowings.

- Railways allowed access to extra budgetary resources to the extent of Rs.30 billion for financially viable schemes.

Indo-Asian News Service
http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=77940

Entire Text of Lalu's entire Railway Budget speech available at this URL: http://specials.rediff.com/money/2005/feb/26railspeech.htm