Rail Budget 2015

Rail Budget 2015: Fare hike unlikely; stress on Make in 

India and Cleanliness

Just a day before the Narendra Modi government is set to unveil the Rail Budget, sources

 say that its focus will be on attracting investment, modernisation of trains through Wifi and 

transparency in railway systems. Sources say that a lot of suggestions from the Prime

 Minister's office have been incorporated in the Budget. While a fare hike is unlikely across 

the board, a cess for cleanliness cannot be ruled out. As high speed corridors cannot come 

out of the railway resources only, the focus is likely to be on joint ventures and Foreign 

Direct Investment in the Budget. As per sources, the emphasis of the government is to build 

a Public private partnership for raising money. NGOs, corporate sectors can advertise on 

the coaches of railways to generate more revenue. Railway sources: 59,000 coaches to be 

converted into vacuum toilet, a technology that's available in air planes. Cleanliness of 

stations and bio toilets is likely to be the thrust of 'swachh' (clean) railways. Railway Minister 

Suresh Prabhu is likely to make announcements of a series of green initiatives, focus on 

cleanliness and build an interactive customer portal for direct feedback from passengers. 

Prabhu is likely to emphasise upon finishing the existing projects. To ensure safety and

 security, a proposal to install CCTVs in coaches and on stations is likely to be presented. It 

is likely that lesser number of new trains will be announced in comparison to the previous 

budgets of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government. According to sources, 

the minister feels that announcement should be done after study of feasibility and economic 

viability. Sources also say that 2016 onwards, only those Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) 

coaches will rolled out which have bio toilets. The old coaches will have green toilets. 

Stations which don't see too many trains will see better utilisation of the space for skill 

development programme of the Prime Minister. The focus of the Budget will be on Make in 

India so indigenous technology will be pushed, claim sources.