Railway Budget Highlights - 2

Following are the highlights of the Railway Budget for 2015-16 presented by Minister Suresh Prabhu in the Lok Sabha Thursday:

* Investment of Rs.8.5 lakh crore in next five years

* Over 20,00 suggestions received on improving facilities

* Four goals: Deliver sustained improvement in customer facilities, Make railways safer means of travel, expand substantially, make Indian Railways self-sustainable

* Budget part of trilogy: White paper already tabled, this budget, vision document soon

* Railways backbone of national connectivity

* Will partner with private sector to improve last mile connectivity

* Railways unique integrator of modern India

* Facilities not improved substantially over past few decades

 

* Vicious cycle of under-investment must end

* 1,219 sections on network - most of them overworked

* In next five years, intention to substantially augment capacity