Rail Budget 2015: Suresh Prabhu praised for push to passenger comfort

67 per cent increase in allocation of funds for amenities.

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Some of the announcements, such as provision of lifts and escalators and air-conditioned local trains, were not new.

Zonal Railway authorities in Mumbai have hailed the major push for better passenger amenities in Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s maiden Rail budget on Thursday. Prabhu announced a 67 per cent increase in allocation of funds for passenger amenities.

Struggling to get funds to construct shades on platforms, foot-over-bridges and raised platfroms, railway officials of Mumbai’s suburban railway system said the fresh focus on these issues in the budget was welcome. While the cash-strapped Railways usually cites lack of funds and low fares for poor services, Prabhu laid emphasis on improving facilities without a fare hike.

Sunil Sood, general manager of Central and Western Railway, said that last year, funds for passenger amenities for CR was about Rs 74.84 crore, now increased to about Rs 130 crore. On Western Railway, the corresponding figure was Rs 63 crore last year, raised to Rs 102 crore this year.

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The minister’s announcement to provide wifi at several stations in Mumbai will also be a major step in modernising passenger experience at railway stations. Commuters will be able to use the Internet on their smart phones or other devices for free for the first 15 minutes, though further usage will be charged.

The two helplines announced by Prabhu – 138 for service grievances and 182 for security related issues – were also welcomed.
But the biggest announcement for Mumbai’s commuters is, no doubt, the sanctioning of Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase-3 that has been languishing for a year.

The new phase of the World Bank-funded MUTP will see quadrupling of the Virar-Dahanu Road section, doubling of the Panvel-Karjat line, a new suburban corridor between Airoli and Karjat, besides procurement of additional rolling stock, redevelopment of 20 railway stations and trespass control for 200 railway stations on Central and Western Railways. These are huge infrastructure requirements for suburban railway commuters. The total project cost is estimated to be Rs 11,441crore.

Welcoming the monetary provisions for the Mumbai suburban railway network, Sunil Kumar Sood said, “The Railway Minister has allocated more money for development in Mumbai. For the existing projects under MUTP Phase-2, a total of Rs 511 crore has been allocated while for raising platform height Rs 15 crore has been provided on Western Railway. A coaching terminus will also be made at Thakurli and Panvel.”

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With a successful test run of Closed Circuit Television (CCTVs) cameras in coaches for women, the minister also announced provision of CCTVs in local trains and also in mainline train for safety of women passengers.

As a part of its social initiatives, railway stations and training centers will be made available for skill development activities now.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com

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