New High Speed Train to Jammu Introduced

An increase in passenger fares across all classes, more than 100 new trains, enhanced frequency or routes for many others, and plans to hire more than one lakh employees were some of the key Rail Budget proposals made today.

 A new high speed train has been introduced between New Delhi and Udhampur on bi-weekly basis in addition to the existing trains plying upto Jammu and Udhampur railway statrions. The railways minister has also stated that 35 kilometers of tunnel across the Pir Panjal range are ready and are being tested for providing rail-link to Kashmir with rest of the country during the current financial year.

 Meanwhile, angry over the hike in passenger fares in the Railway Budget, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee tonight asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remove her party nominee Dinesh Trivedi from the post of Railway Minister.

 "Yes, I have written to the Prime Minister seeking his replacement with Mukul Roy, another union minister," Banerjee told.

 The action of the West Bengal Chief Minister came late in the night after Trivedi's stout defence of his proposal for across-the-board increase in rail fares to net Rs 4,000 crore in the Budget.

 The Indian Railways will borrow Rs 15,000 crore from the market through its dedicated financing arm IRFC in the 2012-13 fiscal, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said today.

 For the fiscal beginning April 1, the Indian Railways has targetted an annual plan outlay of Rs 60,100 crore, which is the highest-ever plan investment, he said while unveiling the Rail Budget in the Parliament.

 "The plan would be financed through (among other ways) extra budgetary resources of Rs 16,050 crore, which includes market borrowing of Rs 15,000 crore through Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC)," Trivedi said.

 For the current fiscal, the gross budgetary support for Railway Ministry stood at Rs 24,000 crore, Railway Safety Fund of Rs 2,000 crore and internal resources of Rs 18,050 crore.

 Among other things, Trivedi also announced hiking passenger fares ranging from 2 paisa per kilometre to 30 paisa per kilometre in various categories of trains despite noting that Railways was passing through a "difficult phase".

 Presenting the annual Rail Budget for the financial year 2012-13 in Parliament today, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi made following key proposals:

 *Passenger fares to be hiked by 2 paise per km for suburban and ordinary second class travel; 3 paise per km for mail/ express second class; 5 paise per km for sleeper class; 10 paise per km for AC chair car/AC 3-tier and First Class; 15 paise per km for AC 2-tier and 30 paise per km for AC 1-tier.

 *Minimum fare and platform tickets to cost Rs 5.

 *75 mew Express trains to be introduced, along with 21 new passenger services, nine DEMU services and 8 MEMU services trains.

 *Route of 39 trains to be extended and frequency of 23 trains to be increased.

 *Railways to hire more than one lakh employees in 2012-13; 80,000 persons hired last year.

 *To set up an independent Railway Safety Authority as a statutory body.

 * The open discharge toilets on trains to be replaced with green (bio) toilets.

 *All unmanned level crossings to be abolished in next five years; To target zero deaths due to rail accidents.

 *Double-decker container trains to be introduced.

 *New passenger services include escalators at major stations, alternative train accommodation for wait-listed passengers, laundry services, AC lounges, coin/currency operated ticket vending machines.

 *Introduction of regional cuisine; Book-a-meal scheme to provide meals through SMS or email.

 *Specially designed coaches for differently-abled persons to be provided in each Mail/Express trains.

 *Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority to be considered.

 *National High Speed Rail Authority to be set-up; Pre-feasibility studies on six high speed corridors completed; study on Delhi-Jaipur-Ajmer-Jodhpur to be taken up in 2012-13.

 *Institution of ‘Rail Khel Ratna’ Award for 10 rail sports-persons every year.

 *Passenger earnings to increase to Rs 36,200 crore.

 *Gross rail traffic targeted to increase by Rs 28,635 crore to Rs 1,32,552 crore in 2012-13.

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Train Derailment in Kashmir Valley

In the first train derailment since the rail services were launched in the valley, at least 30 passengers were injured some of them critically.The train was on its way from Qazigund to Srinagar and derailed near Sadoora village in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district today. While the passengers allege that the accident took place due to the negligence of railway authorities the latter preferred to remain tight lipped.

Officials said that the Srinagar bound train carrying 70 passengers derailed after it developed some technical snag near Sadoora railway station this afternoon. The engine and two bogies of the train derailed as the driver overshot the intended station stop by nearly 200 meters.In the mishap, at least 30 passengers were injured and were shifted immediately to the Emergency hospital Qazigund for treatment.

“Two of the seriously injured passengers were referred to Srinagar hospital in a critical condition,” officials said.The passengers hold the railway authorities responsible for the accident.  “As the train reached near Lewdoora village the smoke started emanating from the engine and many of its compartments. As we complained to the driver he instead of paying any heed  kept moving on. On reaching Sadoora railway station the driver even failed to stop the train and barely 100 feet ahead of the railway station it suddenly got derailed from the track,” said a group of passengers.

They said that had the driver and the other railway staff listened to Them, the mishap could have been averted.Mohammad Shafi of Qazigund, an injured, said the train was having some problem. As it could not stop at Sadoora railway station, the rail officials announced that the train will not stop at any station except the last stop at Ompora-Budgam. But suddenly the mishap occurred.While the railway authorities chose not to comment, the district administration seconded the version of the passengers saying that the accident has occurred out of the negligence of the railway officials.

“The preliminary enquiry and the statements of the passengers   suggest that it was the negligence of railway authorities that resulted into the tragedy. It has also been learnt that there was break failure in the train already,” Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Kifayat Hussain Rizvi told News Agency.He said that he has directed many agencies to enquire into the incident. “I am waiting for the enquiry report and once it comes, action will be taken accordingly,” DC added.However when contacted SP railways, Baker Samoon chose to remain tightlipped saying he cannot comment over the incident.“I was not on spot and cannot comment over what actually led to the mishap. Its better to talk to concerned DC or DIG,” SP said.