Though the Government did not resort to any fare and freight hike in this interim Budget, it indicated the possibility of a hike in the near future by by announcing setting up of an independent Rail Tariff Authority to advise on fixing of fares and freight by engaging all stakeholders.
However the storm over Telangana issue derailed the presentation of the Interim Rail Budget with Kharge being forced to cut short his speech in Lok Sabha because of turmoil. With tempers running high on the issue of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, a clash was averted between a supporter and opponent of Telangana due alertness of some leaders. The Well of the House looked a battle ground on Telangana issue with members from Andhra Pradesh cutting across party lines converging there. In an unprecedented action, four Union Ministers from Seemandhra trooped into the Well demanding a united Andhra Pradesh. This could be perhaps the first occasion when the Railway Minister was forced to lay on the table his budget speech which was taken as read.
The House witnessed further trouble after AIADMK and Trinamool Congress members stormed the Well alleging discrimination against their states — Tamil Nadu and West Bengal — respectively.
The Railway Minister said, the implementation of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors project is making good progress with the award of nearly one thousand one hundred kilometers of civil construction contracts till now. During 2014-15, another one thousand kilometers of civil construction contracts are targeted.
On connectivity with the remote northeastern parts of the country, Kharge said that progress was being made on the conversion of the strategically important 510 kilometer long Rangiya
Regarding High Speed Trains Project, the Minister said, a joint feasibility study for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Corridor, which started in December 2013, will be completed in 18 months. A Business Development Study being undertaken by French Railways will be completed by April 2014.
Kharge said, besides high-speed project, the Railways also intend to explore low-cost options for raising speeds to 160 to 200 kilometers per hour on existing select routes like Delhi-Agra and Delhi-Chandigarh.
On ensuring cleanliness in the coaches and on railway tracks, the Minister said, a bio-toilet design, adopted by the railways has been introduced in about 2,500 coaches and it is proposed to increase its coverage progressively.
Referring to Passenger Friendly initiatives, the Railway Minister said, passenger escalators are being installed at 61 railway stations. He said, air-conditioned EMU services would commence in Mumbai area by July this year.
To facilitate utilization of vacant accommodation in the higher classes and optimise demand satisfaction in the lower classes, the Passenger Upgradation Scheme is proposed to be extended to second class sitting, AC Chair Car and Executive Chair Car categories.
Kharge said, his Ministry is considering expanding on a larger scale the operation of Premium Air-Conditioned Special Service based on dynamic pricing.
The service was introduced on the busy Delhi-Mumbai sector with shorter advance reservation period in December 2013 and January 2014. The fare included a dynamically varying premium over tatkal fare of the Rajdhani services.
The Ministry proposes proliferation of cash accepting Automatic Ticket Vending Machines, ticketing on mobile phones in the unreserved segment, update of PNR status through system generated SMS. The other initiatives include the update for train running information, on-line booking of retiring rooms at all major stations and on-line booking of food on trains for selected en-route stations.
Kharge said, as the UPA-2 government completes its term in May this year, it is time to take stock of the achievements of the Indian Railways and also lay the road map for the organization.
He said the initiatives taken by the government during the period have helped build-up confidence of the people and instill a sense of pride among the railway work force.