Rail Budget 2016: In a nutshell

FOCUS AREAS: Passenger earnings growth pegged at 12.4%; earnings target at Rs 51,012 crore. Additional berths, women- & children-friendly coaches, bio-toilets, long-route trains for unreserved passengers; elevated sub-urban corridors and new freight corridors. Institutional funding, PPPs, freight revenue to push investment, make the Railways self-sustainable

NO NEW TRAINS: No new trains or routes announced; no increase in fares


NEW INITIATIVES: Broad-gauge lines in Mizoram, Manipur soon; port, rail connectivity; human resources/skilling, social initiatives and environment get importance; 7 missions for railway transformation; Humsafar, Tejas, UDAY special trains for reserved passengers; e-tendering across the board

PLAN OUTLAY: Highest annual Plan outlay of Rs 1.21 lakh cr for FY17 - Rs 21,000 cr higher than FY16 - funded via extra-budgetary sources like JVs with states, developing new frameworks for PPP, and institutional funding; GBS for FY17 pegged at Rs 40,000 cr, same as FY16

FUND-RAISING: Plan to raise additional resources through non-fare sources like station redevelopment, monetising land along tracks; monetising soft assets such as websites, data

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE: Gross traffic receipts in RE for FY16 down by Rs 15,744 cr from BE of Rs 1,83,578 cr; passenger earnings scaled down due to persistent negative growth trend since 2013-14 in suburban, non-suburban travel; freight earnings hit due to low demand from the core sector, resetting the target in FY16 RE to Rs 1,11,853 cr

TARGETS FOR FY17: Gross traffic receipts at Rs 1,84,820 cr. Passenger earnings growth pegged at 12.4% to Rs 51,012 cr, freight traffic incremental growth at 50 mt (anticipating better core sector growth), goods earnings at Rs 1,17,933 cr, other coaching Rs 6,185 cr, sundries Rs 9,590.3 cr, pension outgo Rs 45,500 cr

IT INITIATIVES: Wi-Fi at 400 more stations by year-end; bar-coded tickets on a pilot basis at major stations; application of track management system; GPS-based information system in coaches; integrate all facilities into 2 mobile apps - for ticketing and complaint redressal