Following are the highlights of the Railway Budget for the year 2003-04:
- No hike in rail fare, freight rates
- Introduction of 50 new trains, increase in frequency of 13 trains and extension of run of 24 popular trains proposed.
- Railway plan for 2003-04 fixed at Rs 10,607 crore, Rs 603 crore higher than revised estimates of the current year.
- Age limit to avail senior citizens' concession on rail fares lowered to 60 years from the existing 65 years.
- Cancer, thalassemia and heart patients to be granted up to 75 per cent concession on rail fares.
- Kidney patients undertaking train journey for the purpose of treatment to get similar travel concession.
- Mega terminals to be built at Anand Vihar in Delhi and Chitpur in Kolkata to ease congestion.
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Plan to install a device in trains to avoid collisions.
- Existing concessions to journalists in rail fares to be extended to Rajdhani and Shatabdi express trains.
- To strengthen Railway Protection Force, 3,500 constables to be recruited.
- Track renewal of around 5,400 kilometres to be completed by the end of this year.
- Jammu-Udhampur rail link targeted to be completed by March 2004 and the rail link upto Katra to be completed during 2004-05.
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Task force constituted to give shape to Operation Cleanliness' in Railways with private participation.
- Ten prototype refrigerated vans developed by Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala to be inducted in popular long-distance passenger trains to preserve perishable commodities.
- Over 775 kilometres of gauge conversion during 2003-04.
- To complete 225 kilometres of new lines.
- 375 kilomtres to be electrified during the 2003-04.
- Mumbai Urban Transport Project - Phase-I to be completed in five years.
- Konkan Railway registers modest growth. Still needs considerable financial assistance.
