Lalu presents Interim Railway Budget, 43 new trains

Union Minister for Railways Lalu Prasad presented the Interim Railway Budget for the first four months of the financial year 2009-2010 in Parliament on Friday.

Presenting the interim Railway Budget, Lalu said the Railway had cash surplus of Rs 90,000 crore and the surplus had raised in last five years. Railways has invested Rs 36, 773 crore in 2008-09 and more to invest in next five years, said Lalu. Railway to start 43 new trains next year.

Here are the some of the highlights:

• Railways to start 43 new trains in FY '10
• 2 per cut in all train fares
• Fares of AC and mail express cut by 2 per cent
• 4 call centers to be set up for railway inquiry
• 5 lakh people use railway facilities
• passengers grow is up 14%
• Feasibility study for bullet trains underway (6 bullet trains - Delhip-Patna route)
• Freight earning up 19 % till September last year
• Ludhiana-Kolkata freight corridor functional later this month
• Started work on Delhi-Mumbai freight corridor
• Railways to invest Rs 35,900 cr in '09
• Rs 10,500 cr kept aside to meet pension requirements