Highlights of the Railway Budget 2016-17

Railway Budget of India also referred as Rail Budget is the Annual Financial Statement of the state Indian Railways, which handles rail transport in India. It is presented every year by the Minister of Railways, representing the Ministry of Railways, in the parliament.

The Railway Budget is presented every year, a few days before the Union budget of India.

This year, the railway budget will be presented by Suresh Prabhu.

Theme of the Budget

• Overcoming challenges – Reorganize, Restructure Rejuvenate Indian Railways: ‘Chalo, Milkar Kuch Naya Karen’
• Three pillars of the strategy i.e. Nav Arjan – New revenues, Nav Manak – New norms, Nav Sanrachna – New Structures.

Vision 

By 2020, long-felt desires of the common man to be fulfilled i.e, reserved accommodation on trains available on demand, time tabled freight trains, high end technology to improve safety record, elimination of all unmanned level crossings, improved punctuality, higher average speed of freight trains, semi high speed trains running along the golden quadrilateral, zero direct discharge of human waste.

Financial Performance

• 2015-16- Savings of Rs. 8,720 crore neutralizing most of the revenue shortfall, expected OR 90%;
• 2016-17- Targeted Operating Ratio (OR) – 92%, restrict growth of Ordinary Working Expenses by 11.6% after building in immediate impact of 7th PC, reductions planned in diesel and electricity consumption, Revenue generation targeted at Rs. 1,84,820 crore.

Here are the highlights of the Rail Budget 2016:

• Making all-out efforts to translate dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi into reality
• Aiming to achieve operation ratio of 92 percent
• Saving of Rs.8,720 crore from last year’s estimates
• Envisaging capital expenditure of Rs.1.21 lakh crore
• 2,800 km of broad gauge track conversion envisaged
• Seven km of broad gauge lines to be commissioned every day during 2016-17
• Hope to commission 19 km of new broad gauge track every day by 2018-19
• 8.8 lakh crore to be spent on infrastructure in five years
• 40,000 crore expected from the government as nudgetary support
• Budget that reflects the expectations of the entire nation
• Making all-out efforts to translate dream of Prime minister Narendra Modi into reality
• Aiming tom achieve operation ratio of 92 percent
• Saving of Rs.8,720 crore from last year’s estimates
• Envisaging capistal expenditure of Rs.1.21 lakh crore
• Social media being increasingly used to ensure transparency
• Online booking of retiring rooms made possible
• 17,000 additional bio-toilets to be provided by the end of current fiscal
• Finalised bids for two new loco factories under Make in India initiative
• WiFi facilities at 100 more stations this year and 400 stations next year
• 2,800 km of broad gauge track conversion envisaged
• Seven km of broad gauge lines to be commissioned every day during 2016-17
• Hope to commission 19 km of new broad gauge track every day by 2018-19
• 8.8 lakh crore to be spent on infrastructure in five years
• 40,000 crore expected from the government as budgetary support
• Budget that reflects the expectations of the entire nation
• Making all-out efforts to translate dream of Prime minister Narendra Modi into reality
• Aiming tom achieve operation ratio of 92 percent
• Saving of Rs.8,720 crore from last year’s estimates
• Envisaging capital expenditure of Rs.1.21 lakh crore
• Local art to be highlighted at railway stations
• Academic facility at Vadodara being upgraded to university level
• Railways to generate 9 crore mandays of employment in 2017-18 and 14 crore mandays in 2018-19
• To increase lower berth quota for senior citizens by 50 percent
• Dedicated freight corridors envisaged for North-South, East-West and East Coast alignments
• Social media being increasingly used to ensure transparency
• Online booking of retiring rooms made possible
• 17,000 additional bio-toilets to be provided by the end of current fiscal
• Finalised bids for two new loco factories under Make in India initiative
• WiFi facilities at 100 more stations this year and 400 stations next year
• 2,800 km of broad gauge track conversion envisaged
• Seven km of broad gauge lines to be commissioned every day during 2016-17
• Hope to commission 19 km of new broad gauge track every day by 2018-19
• 8.8 lakh crore to be spent on infrastructure in five years
• 40,000 crore expected from the government as budgetary support
• Budget that reflects the expectations of the entire nation
• Making all-out efforts to translate dream of Prime minister Narendra Modi into reality
• Aiming tom achieve operation ratio of 92 percent
• Saving of Rs.8,720 crore from last year’s estimates
• Envisaging capital expenditure of Rs.1.21 lakh crore
• LIC to fund Rs.1.5 lakh crore over five years on favourable terms
• Two elevated tracks envisaged from Churchgate and CST on Mumbai’s suburban railway system
• Specialised teams envisaged in specific areas to improve efficiency
• All-India 24X7 helpline for women
• Fully unreserved trains to be operated on high-density corridors
• Local art to be highlighted at railway stations
• Academic facility at Vadodara being upgraded to university level
• Railways to generate 9 crore mandays of employment in 2017-18 and 14 crore mandays in 2018-19
• To increase lower berth quota for senior citizens by 50 percent
• Dedicated freight corridors envisaged for North-South, East-West and East Coast alignments
• Social media being increasingly used to ensure transparency
• Online booking of retiring rooms made possible
• 17,000 additional bio-toilets to be provided by the end of current fiscal
• Finalised bids for two new loco factories under Make in India initiative
• WiFi facilities at 100 more stations this year and 400 stations next year
• 2,800 km of broad gauge track conversion envisaged
• Seven km of broad gauge lines to be commissioned every day during 2016-17
• Hope to commission 19 km of new broad gauge track every day by 2018-19
• 8.8 lakh crore to be spent on infrastructure in five years
• 40,000 crore expected from the government as budgetary support
• Budget that reflects the expectations of the entire nation
• Making all-out efforts to translate dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi into reality.
• Aiming to achieve operation ratio of 92 percent