Railway Budget 2014-15 Key Highlights

• Five new Jansadharan trains to be started.
• Bangalore to get local trains.
• Special festival trains to continue.
• Reservation system to be revamped.
• Special milk tanker trains to be launched.
• 18 surveys for new lines, 10 for doublinga and extending previous lines to be started.
• Passengers will be able to order food through SMSes.
• Temperature controlled storage for fruits, vegetables.
• 54 per-cent funding hike for North-East.
• Dedicated parcel trains to be launched shortly.
• Mobile based wake-up call, station updates soon.
• All major ports to be linked via PPP model.
• Six high speed corridors identified.
• Semi-bullet train at a speed of 160-200KMPH for Chennai-Hyderabad, Delhi-Kanpur, Delhi-Agra, Nagpur-Bilaspur, Delhi-Pathankot.
• Paperless office of Indian railways within 5 years: Gowda.
• New religious tourist circuits to be developed.
• Mumbai-Ahmedabad first bullet train route.
• Will hike ticketing capabilities by 250 per cent.
• Eco-tourism to be taken up on priority.
• Women RPF constables to be deployed on trains to ensure women's safely.
• Catering services to be improved with private parties: Gowda.
• Will outsource cleaning in 50 top stations.
• Battery-operated cars at stations for senior citizens.
• Escalators and lifts in stations via PPP models.
• Majority of projects to be funded via PPP models.
• Private investment invited in rail infrastructure.
• Budget outlay need Rs 9, 000 crore hike: Gowda.
• Railways seeking Cabinet approval for FDI.
• Mismanagement has created fund crunch in the ministry: Gowda.
• Doubling, tripling tracks is priority: Gowda.
• Require Rs 5 lakh cr to complete projects, says Sadananda Gowda.
• Four projects of 30-year-old are still pending: Gowda.
• Populism have hit railways hard as passenger losses have increased 130 per cent over 10 years, says Gowda.
• Focus on sanctioning rather than implementation: Gowda.
• Just 6 per cent funds left for new projects: Gowda.
• To increase railway share of freight is a big challenge. Railways account for only 31 per cent of total freight in the country. We aim to become the world's largest freight carrier: Gowda.
• Challenge is to increase Railways' share of freight: Gowda.
• Our trains carry 23 million passengers per day, says Sadananda Gowda while presenting his maiden rail budget.
• Railways are the soul of Indian economy: Gowda.
• Gowda begins his Railway Budget speech in the Parliament.
• Hope we can meet public expectations: Sadananda Gowda.
• Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda reaches Parliament to present his first Railway Budget.
• Gowda will propose development of higher capacity milk van for National Dairy Development Board, parcel van and light weight wagon for carrying salt.
• While many unviable projects may be scrapped, Gowda will also announce some new projects on priority basis in the rail budget 2014-2015 on Tuesday.
• Gowda is likely to announce pilot project for introduction of automatic closing of doors in Shatabdi coaches and EMU coaches in Mumbai suburban train as safety measures for passengers to prevent accidental fall from running train.
• Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda reaches Parliament.
• The maiden Railway Budget for the Narendra Modi government is set to propose steps to boost the department's revenues, as it is saddled with a huge cash cruch of Rs.26,000 crore amid a decline in the growth in passenger earnings.
• Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd is down 1.3 per cent and BEML Ltd slumps 3.7 per cent.
• Titagarh Wagons Ltd, which has risen 183 per cent in 2014 compared to the Nifty's gain of 23.65 percent, falls 4.4 percent.
• Railway-related stocks fall on profit-taking ahead of budget.
• New services in suburban areas and high-speed tracks are other segments that are likely to be thrown open to foreign companies.
• Gowda is likely to announce allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Indian Railways in order to help mobilise the resources needed.
• The passenger fares and freight charges will not be raised, but an overarching vision of improvement in infrastructure, services and outlook will form the bulwark of the Budget.
• Our emphasis will be on the use of technology. Railways to use social media: Sadananda Gowda.
• We want to make Railways people friendly, says Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda.
• Passenger safety and security are our top priorities, says Gowda.
• We will introduce bullet trains soon, says Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda.
• Gowda is expected to announce plans for public-private partnerships in railway infrastructure.
• DV Sadananda Gowda has served as the CM of Karnataka from 4 August 2011 to 12 July 2012.
• Gowda,61, is an MP from Karnataka's Bangalore North constituency.
• Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda will present his maiden Railway Budget in Parliament today.