Budget: MCCIA not expecting new trains for Pune

The Union railway budget will be presented in the next week but the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), which has submitted several suggestions demanding new trains from Pune, is not expecting announcement of new trains. In fact, MCCIA officials are expecting increase in the fares this year.

Union railway minister Dinesh Trivedi will present the railway budget on March 14, but MCCIA had sent its suggestions to the ministry in January. MCCIA’s executive director general Anant Sardeshmukh had said that Pune is growing and it requires more trains. The chamber had suggested to the ministry that a few new trains should be started from Pune for better connectivity with other parts of the country.

However, MCCIA officials are not expecting new trains to be sanctioned from the Union railway ministry. Chandmal Parmar, chairman of railway, road traffic management committee of MCCIA, said, “The financial condition of the Indian Railways is not good. It isfacing losses and despite that, the railway ministry has not increased passenger fares for nearly seven to eight years which has put additional burden on the railways.’’

Parmar added, “Considering the present situation of the Indian Railways, we are not expecting the railway minister to make announcement of new trains. In fact, looking at the financial condition of the railways, we feel that the ministry will hike the railway fares this time. However, the hike may be minimal.’’