By Apurva Bhatt

 

It’s been called ‘Narendra Modi’s railway budget’, and who better than Mr Clean, Suresh Prabhu to present it. No passenger hike, no new trains announcement emphasis on use of technology and cleaner trains and railways stations, raising some passenger train speeds by 50 percent on nine key routes, faster freight trains, user-friendly ladders to mount upper berths, wi-fi in 400 stations, more money for escalators, easier norms for unreserved tickets, 17,000 bio-toilets in trains, better connectivity in north-east and cameras for safety of women travellers are among the other highlights of the budget.

Suresh Prabhu pledged a vastly improved operating ratio, which spells out how much money is spent on day-to-day operations to earn revenues — an indication of the funds left for safety and expansion. The minister has aimed to bring it down to 88.5 percent, or the lowest in nine years, from 93.6 percent in 2013-14 and 91.8 percent for this fiscal. This is better than what the prime minister had asked the railways to do a few days ago.  Globally, a 75-80 percent or lower is seen as a healthy benchmark. He pegged a 52 percent jump in the plan outlay for 2015-16 at Rs.100,011 crore, projecting a 16.7 percent growth in passenger earnings and 13.5 percent in freight. The minister has also proposed a 46.5-percent increase in market borrowings to bridge the fiscal gap. He pegged a 52 percent jump in the plan outlay for 2015-16 at Rs.100,011 crore, projecting a 16.7 percent growth in passenger earnings and 13.5 percent in freight. The minister has also proposed a 46.5-percent increase in market borrowings to bridge the fiscal gap.