Assumed Office as the Railway Minister on 9th November 2014.

He has made it clear that he is more concerned with theturnaround in Indian Railways than taking the populist path.

With the aim of clearing the financial and administrative messin the Railways, Prabhu presented his maiden Railway Budget2015-16 on the 26th of February 2015.

SURESH PRABHU

No hike in passenger fares.

Speed of trains running at 110-130 kmph to be increased to 160-200 kmph.

Over 1,700 toilets on trains already replaced, another 17,000 tobe replaced.

Toilets at stations need improvement; 650 additional toilets tobe created in addition to 120 last year.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUDGET

Paperless ticketing system to be developed ,Wi-Fi facility to be

extended to category B stations.

10 cities identified for creating fully-functional satellite terminals to reduce congestion.

All newly-manufactured coaches to be braille-enabled.

Green technology locomotives to be introduced.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUDGET

Deliver sustained improvement in customer facilities.

Make railways safer means of travel.

Expand substantially.

Make Indian Railways self-sustainable.

4 GOALS FOR INDIAN RAILWAYS

Size of the plan budget has gone up by 52 percent from

Rs.65,798 crore in 2014-15 to Rs.1,00,011 crore in 2015-16.

Investment of Rs.8.5 lakh crore in next five years to increasedaily passenger arraying capacity from 21 million to 30 million.

Increase track length by 20 percent from 1,14,000 km to 1,38,000km, increasing annual freight carrying capacity from 1 billionto 1.5 billion tonnes.

Seventy-seven new projects worth Rs.96,182 crore sanctioned.

INVESTMENTS

Innovation Council and Technology Portal to be set up to invite suggestions

on improvements.

Passengers will be allowed to book tickets up to 120 days in advance, anincrease from current 2 months.

MPs urged to use part of their funds for improving rail facilities.

Open bids to be invited from private parties to develop railway stations.

Products made by self-help groups to be encouraged

FRESH MOVES

An initiative called the "Operation 5-minute" was announced

which would allow ticketless passengers to acquire ticketswithin 5 minutes of entering a station.

SMS alerts for the arrival and departure of trains will beintroduced.

More general-class coaches would be added to select trains.

FRESH MOVES

200 stations will be brought under the "Adarsh StationScheme“.

200 stations will be given basic amenities like: toilets, drinkingwater, catering services, waiting rooms etc.

ADARSH STATION SCHEME

Under the "Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat" programme

professional cleaning agencies will be hired to keep trains andstations clean and train staff.

650 stations will get new toilets.

17,000 old toilets on trains will be replaced by bio-toilets in2015, increasing the number of 17,388 existing ones.

SWACHH RAIL SWACHH BARATH

CCTV Cameras will be installed in selected trains.

Women's-only coaches of suburban trains, to ensure the safetyof women.

Train collision detection systems will be introduced on selectedroutes.

3,000 unmanned railway crossings will be removed and 917over or under-bridges will be constructed to replace some ofthem.

SAFETY & SECURITY

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "Rail budget 2015 is aforward looking, futuristic and passenger centric budget,combining a clear vision and a definite plan to achieve it.“

Nitin Gadkari, the Transport Minister called the budgetreformative.

Smriti Irani, Human Resource Minister, praised the budget forconsidering women's safety.

PRAISES

Rajeev Gowda, spokesperson of the Indian National Congress (INC)

said the budget was leaning towards elites.

Mallikarjun Kharge of INC said that budget did not clarify howrevenues will generated to pay for the promises.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the budget had many loftyideas but no action plan. He said that fares should have been cut dueto fall in international oil prices.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed disappointmentdue to lack of any special package towards his state.

CRITICISM

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