This years Railway Budget has come with the following new initiatives:
On Freight Business:
As to the sources, Indian Railway gets more revenues from the Freight Business. For raising its potentiality and developing this, The Railway Minister has declared following points as new initiatives in the Freight Business:
- Targeted Freight Loading at 785 Million Tonnes (MT) for the year 2007-08
- Railway Targets more transport of Cement and Steel
- Planning of more Triple-stack container trains on diesel routes and double-stack container trains on electrified routes
- Upgradation of Freight terminals
- Encouragement to the wagon manufacturers
On Passenger Business:
New initiatives undertaken for the passengers business are as follows:
- 800 more coaches to be used in popular trains
- Providing cushioned seats
- Increasing the numbers of unreserved second-class coaches from four to six in new trains.
- Providing lower berths for senior citizens and women above 45 years traveling alone.
- Making provisions of special coaches for Physically challenged passengers
- Planning to develop new design passenger coaches
- For the candidates appearing for main written examination conducted by SSC and UPSC, there will be a concession of 50%.
On Passenger Amenities:
- 300 Stations are to be modernized
- The year is declared as the “year of cleanliness”
On Railway Safety:
- Budget has declared that the Special Railway Safety Fund works will be completed by March 2007.
- Coaches will come with modern technologies
On Railway Security:
- Use of more Dog Squads
- Use of hand held metal detectors to detect explosives inside the train
- Filling RPF Vacancies in all India Basis
On Passenger Services:
- Introducing of 8 new Garib Raths
- 32 new trains
- Increasing Frequency among the trains