HIGHLIGHTS OF RAILWAY BUDGET, 1997-98

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Part - I

Overview

• Development of Rail network in backward areas.
• New line from Udhampur to Baramulla and Kumarghat-Agartala, Lumding-Silchar, Harmuti-Itanagar and Bridge at Bogibeel on Brahmaputra.
• Rs.400 cr. for new lines as against Rs.220 cr. in the current year.
• More than Rs.300 cr. for rail infrastructure development in North-East.
• More than Rs.100 cr. for expansion of railway system in Jammu and Kashmir.
• More than Rs.4100 cr. for Rolling Stock in current year as against Rs.2900 cr. during 1995-96.
• 26,000 Wagons, 2,000 passenger coaches and more than 300 locos to be procured in 1997-98.
• Rs.3500 cr. increase in working expenses on account of Fifth Pay Commission. Large number of demands for expansion and development of rail network. But for this additional burden, pace of development of rail infrastructure could have been increased.
• Budgetary support of Rs.1831 cr. from General Revenues.
• Rail network spans 62,000 Route Kilometres and 1,07,000 Track Kilometres.
• 10% of the track requires renewal.
• Replacement of 20,000 Wagons, 2,000 Coaches, in the current year.
• 24,554 unmanned level crossings.

Traffic Performance in 1996-97

• Originating loading of 390 MT during 1995-96. Target of 410 MT of freight loading during 1996-97.
• Increase of 53.76 millions of originating passengers over the previous year.

Financial Performance 1996-97

• ‘Excess’ of Rs.1916 cr. likely to go upto Rs.2241 cr. during 1996-97.
• Annual Plan raised to Rs.8300 cr. from Rs.8130 cr. on getting additional budgetary support of Rs.170 cr. from General Exchequer.
• Investment of Rs.530 cr. expected under BOLT/OYW schemes.
• IRFC already raised Rs.1500 cr. - likely to exceed target of Rs.1850 cr.

Traffic Prospects 1997-98

• Target of freight loading fixed at 430 MT.
• Passenger traffic estimated to go up by 3% over 1996-97.

Passenger Amenities

• Computerised reservation provided at 271 locations upto 1995-96, likely to be made available at more than 300 locations by March, 1997.
• The facility is available at Srinagar, Port Blair, Panaji, Shillong, Agartala, Imphal and Gangtok etc. which are not connected by rail. It is being made operational at Aizawl, Itanagar and Kohima.
• To provide universal facility of return and onward reservation, software is already operational at New Delhi and Secunderabad PRS. It is to be extended to Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai.
• Satellite based telephone service on many long distance trains.
• This facility already introduced on Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Express train. To be provided on all Rajdhani Express trains during next year.
• Monitoring cells set up at Zonal Headquarters and Ministry’s level to ensure passenger amenities, cleanliness and punctuality.
• AC 2-tier accommodation provided on 15 pairs of Mail/Express trains in current year.
• AC 3-tier coaches operating on all Rajdhani Express trains and 51 pairs of other Mail/Express trains.
• Unreserved Second Class coaches attached to many trains during the current year.

Public Grievances

• Railways run 7,500 passenger trains and provide services to 11 million passengers every day. Some complaints are natural. Public Grievance cells are functioning at Ministry’s level and Zonal Headquarters level to look into complaints.

Catering Services

• Qualified and trained Degree/Diploma holders have been recruited to improve catering services on Railways.
• Pantry Car Services introduced on the following trains :-

Annual Plan 1997-98

• Annual Plan fixed at Rs.8300 cr. i.e. at the level of 1996-97.
• Budgetary support Rs.1831 cr., higher by Rs.400 cr. than the budgetary support of current year.
• Internal resource of Rs.3419 cr. Amount of Rs.3050 cr. to be raised through IRFC and private investment under BOLT/OYW schemes.

New Lines

• Construction of Beas-Goindwal, Chitauni-Bagha rail link and Karanjali-Nischantapur new lines completed in the current year.
• Several new lines included in the Budget, 1996-97. Necessary approvals obtained for taking up the work of new lines from Harmuti-Itanagar, Hassan-Bangalore via Shravanbelagola, Khagaria to Kusheshwardham, Hubli-Akola and Lohardanga to Tori.
• Necessary approval being obtained for Karur-Salem new line.
• Construction of bridge at Bogibeel near Dibrugarh and a bridge at Patna included in the Budget. Actual work will start after land is acquired.
• Construction of a new railway line between Diphu-Karong as first phase of BG line to Imphal included in the Budget.
• Updating the survey for Bhairabi to Sairang. This will help in taking up a new line Sairang/Aizawl to link the capital of Mizoram.
• Works of Dausa-Gangapur City and Ahmednagar-Beed-Parli Vaijnath to be started in 1997-98.
• Construction of following new lines to be taken up :-

  1. Lalitpur-Satna via Khajuraho, Rewa to Singrauli, Baramati to Lonand,
  2. Kopargaon to Shirdi, Taran Taran to Goindwal, Chandigarh to Ludhiana,
  3. Muzaffarpur to Sitamari, Ara to Sasaram, Giridih to Kodarma as the first
  4. phase of Giridih-Barkakhana-Ranchi line, Munirabad to Mehboobnagar,
  5. Bangalore to Satyamangalam, Dharmavaram to Penukonda via Puttaparthi and Angamali to Sabarimala.

• Based on updated survey report, proposal for Bishrampur to Ambikapur new line will be sent to Planning Commission for consideration. Necessary clearance being obtained for new line Talcher-Sukhinda Road, Bidar-Gulbarga and Gadwal to Raichur.
• Rail infrastructure to be developed in Uttarakhand region. Surveys for Saharanpur-Dehradun, Rishikesh-Karanprayag taken up.
• Satisfactory progress at Talcher-Sambalpur, Daitari-Banspani, Jammu to Udhampur and Guna-Etawah projects.
• Talcher-Sambalpur to be completed in 1997-98. Other 3 projects to be completed by December, 1999.
• Rs. 20 cr. provided for first phase of work between Udhampur-Katra on Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line in the current year and Rs.75 cr. provided in 1997-98.

Gauge Conversion

• Following works completed in the current year :-

1. Wadsa-Nagbir
2. Arsikere-Hassan
3. Hossur-Salem
4. Mhow-Shahganj
5. Mehsana-Marwar-Ajmer.

• By March 1997 Hassan-Holenarsipur, Guntakal-Nandyal, Sagauli-Narkatiaganj, Castle Rock-Vasco, Dimapur-Dibrugarh, Tinsukia-Lekhapani are to be opened. Bangarpet-Kolar will also be completed.
• 6900 Kilometres of Gauge Conversion will be completed in VIII Five Year Plan as against the target of 6,000 Kilometres.
• Following section of Gauge Conversion projects are included in 1997-98:

  1. Jodhpur-Marwar
  2. Hotgi-Bijapur
  3. Nagbir-Chandafort
  4. Mehboobnagar-Dronachellam
  5. Mysore-Holenarsipur
  6. Chennai-Trichy
  7. Narkatiaganj-Valmikinagar
  8. Mariani-Furkating loop
  9. Hajipur-Bachwara
  10. Trichy-Thanjavur
  11. Hassan-Sakleshpur
  12. Simalguri-Moranhat

• 1200 Kilometres of Gauge Conversion will be completed in 1997-98.
• Katpadi-Tirupati, Gorakhpur-Chitauni to be completed by middle of the next financial year. Scope of Mansi-Forbesganj Gauge Conversion project to be increased to take it upto Katihar.
• Gauge Conversion of Jabalpur-Gondia including Balaghat-Katangi, Ajmer-Udaipur-Chittaurgarh, Ranchi-Lohardanga and Surendranagar-Bhavnagar-Dhola-Dhasa-Mahuva with extension to Pipavav included in the Supplementary Demands for Grants 1996-97.
• Gauge Conversion project of Mudkhed-Secunderabad, Jaynagar-Darbhanga-Narkatiaganj and Samastipur-Khagaria, Rewari-Sadulpur, Mysore-Chamarajanagar with extension to Mettupalayam, Quilon-Tirunelveli-Trichandur and Tenkasi-Virudhnagar, Naupada-Gunupur and Villupuram-Pondicherry, Sriganganagar to Sarupsar, Luni-Barmer-Munabao, Kanpur-Kasganj, Kasganj-Bareilly and New Jalpaiguri-Silliguri-Bongaigaon are included in the Budget 1997-98. Actual work of construction would be started after certain formalities.
• Gauge Conversion of Bikaner-Hissar under consideration.

Doubling

• Following projects are included in the Budget :-Kangeri-Ramanagaram, Renigunta-Gudur, Patna-Gaya, Yeshwantpur-Tunkur and Gorakhpur-Sajanva, Champa-Sarabgundia, Rahama-Paradeep, Bilaspur-Urkura Third line, Sarona-Bhilai Third line, Titlagarh-Lanjigarhand Goelkera-Manoharpur Third line.Work on doubling of Hospet-Guntakal Section will be started shortly.

Construction of a Workshop

• A workshop is to be set up at Barauni to take up ROH of 250 air brake wagons per month at a cost of Rs.25 cr.

Surveys

• Following new surveys for new lines included in the Budget 1997-98 :-

  1. Cuddapah to Nellore via Badvel and Atmakur and Butchireddipalem
  2. Nalgonda to Macherla via Nagarajunagar
  3. Kurnool to Kamalapuram
  4. Nadikudi and Srikalahasti via Karampudi, Venukonds, Kanigiri
  5. Bhadrachallam Road and Vishakhapatnam
  6. Kakinada to Pithapuram
  7. Pattancheru to Adilabad
  8. Kachiguda to Chityal
  9. Fatua-Islampur-Rajgir-Manipur-Gaya
  10. Rewari to Rohtak
  11. Bijapur-Athani-Shedbal
  12. Bangalore City-Mudigere-Shringeri
  13. Belgaum-Dharwad via Balhongal and Kitur
  14. Medikere-Channaraya-Patna via Holenarsipur, Arakalgad, Mercera
  15. Kushalnagar Channaraya-Patna via Kunanur
  16. Davangere to Bhadravati via Chineri
  17. Gadag-Wadi
  18. Bidar-Gulbarga-Hospet
  19. New Moinaguri-Mathabunga-New Coochbehar to Jogighopa via
  20. Boxirhat

• Updating survey for new line from Bhairabi-Sairang/Aizawl

1. Sivokto Gangtok
2. Barpeta Road to Tihu
3. Hoshiarpur to Una BG
4. Nokha-Sikar via Bedasar and Sujangarh
5. Churu to Taranagar
6. Kolayat-Pokaran-Barmer
7. Tindivanum to Pondicherry
8. Chola to Bulandshahar
9. Budge Budge to Falta
10. Budge-Budge-Namkhana-Frazerganj
11. Kursela-Rupoli-Saharsa
12. Koparia/Samri-Bhaktiyarpur-Alamnagar-Bihariganj
13. Khalilabad to Naugarh
14. Hassanpur-Barauni
15. Nanjangod-Badagara via Vyitri-Poozhithod
16. Supual to Araria via Triveniganj and Raniganj
17. Mainpuri-Etawah

• Survey for new line between Gola Gokran Nath and Farrukhabad via Mohammadi and Shahjahanpur already sanctioned and work is in progress.
• Survey for the following lines for Gauge Conversion being taken up :-

1. Badarpur-Kumarghat, Katakhal-Bhairabi, Silchar-Jiribam, Baraigram-
2. Dulabehera
3. Katpadi-Villipuram
4. Kaptanganj-Siwan, Thawe-Chhapra
5. Bareilly-Lalkuan

• Survey for doubling of following will be taken up :-

1. Shahdara-Shamli
2. Jharsuguda-Titlagarh
3. Dehri-on-Sone to Jadhunathpur via Banjari

 

Konkan Railway Corporation

• About 98% of the work of Konkan Railway Project already completed.
• Out of 760 kms., Roha-Sawantwadi (364 kms.) and Mangalore to Kundapura (100 kms.) already commissioned.
• Due to unforeseen geological problems two tunnels in Goa Section about a length of 500 metres have still to be made through. Foreign consultancy is being obtained to solve the problem.

Metropolitan Transport Projects

• Calcutta Metro already in operation, about 2 lakh passengers use this system every day. Some residual works are in progress, likely to be completed by the end of March 1997,
• Techno-economic studies for extension of Metro from Tollyganj to New Garia completed.
• Another techno-economic study for extension from Dum Dum and Princepghat in progress. Circular Railway in operation from Dum Dum to Princepghat. Survey for extension of the Circular Railway from Princepghat to Majerhat being taken up.
• Electrification of Ranaghat-Gede, Ranaghat-Bongaon section being included in the Budget.
• First phase of MRTS Chennai Project nearing completion. Section from Chepauk to Luz will be opened by March 1997.
• Extension of MRTS from Luz to Vellachery is in progress.
• RITES commissioned to undertake detailed study for laying of fifth and sixth lines from Mumbai Central to Borivli on Western Railway. Fifth and sixth line from Mumbai CST to Kurla on Central Railway
• More works identified for inclusion in Mumbai Urban Transport Project-II.
• Development of transport facilities in New Mumbai area.
• Construction of a new electrified track under execution in collaboration with State Government of Maharashtra.
• Extension of fifth line from Santa Cruz to Borivli and construction of fifth and sixth line from Kurla to Bhandup in progress.
• Existing 1500 Volt DC traction system in Mumbai area reached operational limits, being converted into 25 KV AC single phase 50 Hz system on Central and Western Railways.
• Rs.170 cr. being provided for MTP.

Electrification

• 630 Route Kilometres likely to be electrified in 1996-97.
• A total of 13,509 Route Kilometres fully electrified.
• Target of 2700 Route Kilometres of VIII Plan to be completed.

Track Renewals

• VIII Plan target of 9600 Kilometres. Target of 2564 Kilometres track renewal likely to be achieved in 1996-97.

Production Units

• All Production Units achieved their targets except Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala.

IRCON International

• Turnover of Rs.626 cr. in 1995-96, Foreign Exchange earnings worth Rs.189 cr., Profit of Rs.163 cr. before tax, Dividend of Rs.1.98 cr. paid.

RITES

• Turnover of Rs.109.90 cr. in 1995-96, Foreign Exchange earnings worth Rs.42.50 cr., Paid dividend of Rs.60 lakh.

CONCOR

• Turnover increased from Rs.217 cr.in 1994-95 to Rs.389 cr. in 1995-96.

Indian Railway Finance Corporation

• Target of raising Rs.1850 cr. in 1996-97, already paid Rs.1500 cr. upto January, 1997, Likely to exceed the target . Profit of Rs.205.76 cr. in 1995-96, Paid dividend of 46.40 cr. Target of Rs.2150 cr. in 1997-98.

Sports

• Railway emerged as National Title holder in 16 Championship in 1995-96. Trend continues in the current year as well, 13 Championship already won. Two sports persons received Arjuna Award.

Medicare

• Perambur Hospital occupies special place in Open Heart Surgery. Linked to National Library of Medicines in USA.

Railway Protection Force

• Responsible for protecting railway property. A special recruitment drive launched in North-East Frontier region, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir for filling up RPF vacancies.
• 750 Women constables to be recruited.
• Special recruitment drive to clear backlog vacancies of SCs/STs.
• Contractual system of cleanliness in Railways stopped.

Regularisation of Casual Labour

• All 56,000 casual labour are to be regularised by 31 March 1998. More then 16,000 casual labour already regularised.

Productivity Linked Bonus

• PLB equivalent to 52 days wages to Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ railway employees without any eligibility wage ceiling for 1995-96 has been paid.

Inventory Control

• An inventory turnover ratio of 14% was achieved in 1995-96. Scrap worth Rs.1018 cr. was sold during 1995-96.

Setting up of New Zones

• All the six new Zonal Headquarters have been inaugurated, Officers on Special Duty have been posted alongwith other team of officers to complete preliminary works.

Passenger Services

• 82 new trains were introduced upto January, 1997 in the current year.
• Frequency of 22 trains was increased and 62 trains were extended.
• Railways ran 1214 special trains to clear summer vacation and marriage season rush.
• Following trains to be introduced in the Golden Jubilee Year of Independence :-

1. Ahmedabad-Delhi Rajdhani Express (Weekly)
2. Secunderabad-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express (Weekly)
3. Bangalore-Nizamuddin Express via Hubli (Weekly)
4. Ranchi-Delhi Express (Weekly)
5. Visakhapatnam-Nizamuddin Express via Vijayawada (Bi- weekly)

• Following new trains will also be run :-

1. Madras-Tirupati Intercity
2. Vasco-Bangalore Express
3. Surat-Patna Express (Weekly)
4. Gorakhpur-Dehradun Express (Bi-weekly)
5. Koraput-Rayagada Link Express to Bhubaneshwar
6. Katihar-Barauni Link Express to Tatanagar

• A superfast day time train between Bangalore and Coimbatore Intercity service will be introduced. Frequency of the following trains will be increased :-

1. 9767/9768 Jaipur-Chennai Express from 1 to 3.
2. 7611/7612 Nanded-Amritsar Express from 1 to 3.
3. 4245/4246 Surat-Varanasi from 4 to 5.
4. 3301/3302 Dhanbad-Tatanagar Suvaranrekha Express (Daily).

• The run of the following trains will be extended

  4609/4610	Jammu Tawi -Ferozepur Express to Jodhpur (via Bhatinda/Bikaner)
  3307/3308	Dhanbad-Ludhiana Express to Ferozepur
  6315/6316	Cochin-Howrah weekly Express to Trivandrum
  3327/3328	Howrah-Singrauli Shaktipunj Express to Jodhpur
  4047/4048	Delhi-Gonda Express to Gorakhpur
  5217/5218	Kurla-Muzaffarpur Express to Darbhanga on one more day
  6311/6312	Bangalore-Howrah Weekly Express to Guwahati
  7663/7664	Kacheguda-Aurangabad Express to Manmad
  8005/8006	Howrah-Rayagada Express to Kazipet
  5323/5324	Gorakhpur-Darbhanga Express to Jainagar.

• On development of additional line capacity and terminal capacity, Hyderabad and Cochin Express will be extended to Kanniyakumari.
• Madras-Howrah Mail (6003/6004) and Madras-Howrah Coromandal Express (2841/2842) will be augmented by additional coaches and electrification so as to give an additional service between Vishakhapatnam-Madras.

Rajdhani Services

• Frequency of Nizamuddin-Madras Rajdhani Express to be increased from weekly to bi-weekly.
• Guwahati Rajdhani Express to be extended upto Dibrugarh via Dimapur.
• Nizamuddin-Trivandrum Rajdhani Express to be diverted via Konkan Railway. Thus, an exclusive Rajdhani Express for Goa and Kerala.
• Mangala Express to be diverted via Konkan Railway and to be extended upto Ernakulam to provide new service from Ernakulam to Delhi. Travelling time from Delhi to Ernakulam reduced by more than 12 hours.
• Kurla-Mangalore-Cochin Netravati Express to be diverted via Konkan Railway.
• Main line EMU services will be started on the following sections :-

1. Purulia-Asansol-Bardhaman
2. sansol-Chittaranjan-Jhajha
3. Dhanbad-Gomoh-Gaya
4. Gaya-Dehri-on-Sone-Mughalsarai
5. Kanpur-Agra

• DMU services will be started on the following sections :-

1. Amritsar-Derababa Nanak
2. Amritsar-Atari
3. Satna-Maihar
4. Nidadavolu-Bhimavaram-Narrsapur

• Rail Bus services to be started on the following sections :-

1. Jalamb-Khamgaon
2. Etah-Barhan
3. Tinpahar-Raj Mahal

• Metre Gauge :

1. Kalol-Vijapur-Ambliyasan
2. Garhi-Harsaru-Farukhnagar

• It has been decided to provide NG Rail Bus on the following sections after their restoration :-

1. Dankura-Damodar
2. Bodeli-Chhota Udepur
3. Maharajganj-Duraundha
4. Ankleshwar-Raj Pipla

Special Announcements

• Licensed porters will get one set of winter uniform every second year. This is in addition to other facilities such as concessional travel and medical facilities.
• Porters at Railway Stations are being allowed 75% travel concession by Sleeper Class once a year. They will now be allowed totally free travel once a year.
• Press correspondents accredited to Headquarters of Government of India and to the State Governments/Union Territories for travel in connection with press work will be able to travel in upper class also within their monetary entitlements under the existing concessions.
• Medical facilities for retired Railway employees will be at par with serving employees.
• Complementary passes to be given to winners of President’s Policce Medals for Gallantry and President’s Police Medals also.
• Children who have made significant contributions in their own fields will be awarded alongwith one of their parents a free one time travel pass of Sleeper Class.
• Changes in dress of certain categories of Railway staff will be introduced from 15^th August, 1997.
• Station Managers/Superintendents at about 450 stations authorised to refund of tickets.

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The Indian Railway Budget 1997 - Highlights

Document released by the Railway Ministry, Government of India, on 26th February, 1997.
Made available on the Web on the same day, by MediaWeb India, on The Indian Economy Overview (http://www.m-web.com).

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