NEW DELHI, 25 February 2006 — Describing the railway budget for 2006-07 as “forward looking,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh complimented Railway Minister Lalu Prasad yesterday.
Soon after Lalu Prasad had presented his third successive railway budget in the Parliament, Manmohan told reporters that the financial position of the railways “has improved never before as it has in the last two years.” Manmohan said the Indian Railways — a network of 63,300 km with 15,000 trains daily and used by 14 million passengers and second in size only to that of Russia — had scaled new heights.
With eyes clearly fixed on competition from low-cost airlines, Lalu’s budget not only presents a remarkable fiscal turnaround in the world’s second-largest rail network but also seeks to lower passenger fares with several new routes.
In a 100-minute speech, amid constant interruptions from the opposition benches while also evoking bouts of laughter over his inimitable style, Lalu said there had been a “historical turnaround” in the financial situation of Indian Railways — a feat achieved without increasing passenger fares.
Lalu announced initiatives like private container trains and new policy to allow the use of surplus railway land, further leasing of pantry cars, food plazas and courts, modern catering services and cold-water dispensers.
These initiatives apart, Lalu also announced 55 new trains, 37 extensions of existing routes, increased frequency for 12 pairs of trains and rerouting of two others, besides a new train between New Delhi and Kanpur at 150 km per hour.
To the average passenger, he said over 200 mail and express trains will become super-fast services, the journey time of major trains like Shatabdi Express and Rajdhani Express will be reduced and more coaches will be added to 190 trains.
At the same time, the fare for AC first class would be cut by 18 percent and for AC second class by 10 percent. He also unveiled a fully airconditioned train for the poor on four routes at 25 percent discount.
