The discount for travel in new design high capacity reserved coaches has been raised by another two per cent which will result in reduction in six per cent in the fares in two years. While rationalisation of fares will make AC first class travel seven per cent cheaper and AC-II by four per cent, the reduction will be only 50 per cent for popular trains and during peak period.

The Minister also tinkered with the classification of tariff to make freight rates cheaper with a special concession for traffic booked for north-eastern states. In passenger services, Prasad announced introduction of 10 new Garib Raths (poor man's airconditioned trains), 53 pairs of new trains, extension of 16 pairs of trains and increase in frequency of 11 pairs. 300 additional services have been planned in Mumbai suburban. To commemorate the ter-centenary function of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Gurta Gaddi, a special train will be run from Anandpur Sahib to Patna Sahib. Another special train will be run between Pune and Delhi for Commonwealth Youth Games being held in Pune from October 12 to October 18 this year.

As part of improvements in ticketing, Prasad said termination of queues at ticket counters has been targeted in two years by increasing the UTS counters from 3,000 to 15,000 and automatic ticket vending machines from 250 to 6,000 during the coming year.

Ticket booking on mobile phones, extension of Jansadharan ticket booking seva, e-ticket for waitlisted passengers and ticket on "Go Mumbai Card" in Mumbai suburban are being planned.

Other passenger amenities like online coach indication display board, online train arrival departure information board and online reservation availability board and provision of discharge-free green toilets in all 36,000 coaches during 11th Plan period at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore have been proposed.

Ashok Chakra awardees will be provided free passes in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains while AIDS patients will be given 50 per cent concession in second class fares for travel for treatment to nominated Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) centres.

In cooperation with the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Railways will run a mother-child health express on a pilot basis at concessional fares for providing medical facilities for mother and child.

As part of special recruitment drives, minority welfare cells will be opened in Railway Board and zonal railways and Urdu will be introduced as a medium of examination in Group 'D' posts in states where it is the second official language.

The other important announcements included a proposal for an ordinance for expeditious acquisition of land for important railway projects and setting up of an Indian Rail Bijli Company.

A joint venture with NTPC for 1000 MW thermal power plant at Nabi Nagar in Aurangabad district in Bihar, a new rail coach factory in Kerala and a new wagon reconstruction unit in Garkha in Chapra district in Bihar are also being planned.

Reviewing the performance of the Railways in the current year, the Minister said during the first nine months, a double digit growth in traffic earnings has been maintained. Growth in passenger earnings was 14 per cent while growth in originating passengers was recorded at 5.6 per cent -- better than budgeted.

An incremental loading of 43 million tonnes was recorded in the first nine months and is likely to touch 62 MT for the whole year. Revised target for loading has been fixed at 790 MT with expected growth in goods earnings at 14 per cent.
The revised estimates in goods, passenger, sundry and other coaching earnings for the current year have been estimated at Rs 47,743 crore, Rs 20,075 crore, Rs 2,637 crore and Rs 2,200 crore respectively.

Gross traffic revenues have been estimated at Rs 72,755 crore, which is 16 per cent higher than the previous year and two per cent higher than the budget estimates. Ordinary working expenses registered savings of Rs 966 crore and operating ratio likely to improve from the budgeted 79.6 per cent to 76.3 per cent-- best in last four decades.