Prabhu seems to have packed it all in. From clean-my-coach service to Wi-Fi at stations, ticket-vending machines, e-catering, mobile apps and hoards of other services that will improve the consumer experience on train.
The Railways' finances could be in bad shape. But that hasn't stopped railway minister Suresh Prabhu from showering all kinds of goodies on the passengers in the Union Railway Budget 2016-17, presented in the Parliament on Thursday.
In fact, Prabhu seems to have packed it all in. From clean-my-coach service to Wi-Fi at stations, ticket-vending machines, e-catering, mobile apps and hoards of other services that will improve the consumer experience on train.
Biswanath Bhattacharya, partner, infrastructure and government services, KPMG India, termed the initiatives outlined by the ministry in the budget as "consumer- centric and execution-oriented".
The minister has laid out an investment plan of Rs 1.21 lakh crore in the coming fiscal, which is 10% more than the revised current year's plan outlay, for modernisation and enhancing of capacity of the Railways.
And he has done this without hiking either the passenger fares or the freight rates.
A substantial portion of this capital expenditure will go into improving rail passenger services. These include addition of 65,000 berths, installation of 2,500 water-vending machines, launching of Mahamana Express with refurbished coaches, setting up of 17,000 bio-toilets in trains, introduction of automatic ticket vending machines, mobile apps, e-catering and others such facilities.
The ministry is looking to provide Wi-Fi at 400 stations. To improve punctuality of trains it will initiate third-party operations audits on Ghaziabad-Mughalsarai section.
As part of its social effort, it will be coming out with online booking for wheelchairs and braille-enabled coaches. The budget also has something for the senior citizens and women, with increased quota of lower berths for the former and middle berths for the latter. To enhance security, the ministry has budgeted for CCTV and helplines at the stations.
The budget has laid emphasis on catering by expanding e-catering, which allows you to order the food of your choice, to more trains. Taking it a step further, it has introduced children's menu with baby food, hot milk and water.
The minister said that a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for implementing high-speed rail passenger corridor, along with the government of Japan, between Ahmedabad and Mumbai would be registered this month.
It will also undertake beautification of several stations, switch to more eco-friendly energy, monetise vast land in its possession, among other things.
On the freight side too, the ministry has taken measures that will push up its volume growth and eventually spur economic revival.
The government has also proposed to develop dedicated freight corridor across the country from north to south and east to west, along with a dedicated eastern coastal freight corridor though a public-private-partnership (PPP).
Prabhu said the ministry would try to tap non-tariff revenues, generated from land monetisation, advertising and sundry earnings, even as it tries to cut cost through direct import and procurement. There is a significant savings expected in energy and fuel costs because of the memorandum of understandings (MoUs) put in place by the ministry.
This will contain its operating ratio (OR) – operating expenses as percentage of revenues – that deteriorated in the current fiscal from the targeted 88.5% to 90% due to revenue pressures.
The budget also announced the setting up of Railway Development Authority to improve the comfort level of private investors, fixing tariff and to resolve project disputes.
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