Expansion Plans
Launching of the National Rail Vikas Yojana – a non-budgetary initiative involving
* Strengthening of Golden Quadrilateral.
* Augmenting rail connectivity to ports.
* Construction of four mega bridges.
Review of Financial Performance in 2001-02
* Freight performance better than revised target by Rs. 235 cr.
* Set back in passenger earnings in fourth quarter; shortfall of Rs. 204 cr
* Overall, Gross Traffic Receipts Rs. 118 cr higher than Revised Estimates
* Saving of Rs. 397 cr in Ordinary Working Expenses over Revised Estimates
* Rs. 1337 cr paid as dividend after deferring Rs. 1000 cr as envisaged in Budget Estimates.
* Loan of Rs. 249 cr taken from General Exchequer for Capital Fund fully repaid.
Review of Financial Performance in 2002-03
* Loading exceeded the proportionate target to end January, 2003. Hence, originating loading target revised from 510 mt to 515 mt.
* Drop of 3 percent in number of passengers to end December, 2002.
* Goods earnings likely to exceed the budget target of Rs. 26,118 cr by Rs. 540 cr.
* Passenger earnings likely to fall short of the budget target of Rs. 13450 cr by Rs. 720 cr.
* Railway dues, particularly from State Electricity Boards/Power Houses, likely to go up by Rs. 417 cr, as against clearance of Rs. 50 cr anticipated in Budget Estimates.
* Overall, Gross Traffic Receipts expected to be Rs. 671 cr less than Budget Estimates.
* With sustained monitoring, likely savings of Rs. 850 cr in Ordinary Working Expenses.
* Dividend liability to be discharged in full, in addition Rs. 50 cr proposed to be cleared from the Deferred Dividend Liability Account.
Customer Satisfaction.
* Year 2003-04 dedicated to the Customers and declared as ‘Customer Satisfaction Year’
* Several steps relating to safety, security, punctuality and cleanliness to be taken for greater satisfaction of customers
Passenger services
* 50 additional Express trains to be introduced.
* Frequencies of 13 popular trains to be increased.
* 24 services to be extended.
* MEMU/DEMU services to be introduced in 11 sections.
* Refund against reserved ticket after departure of train to be permitted from any PRS center three hours after train reaches destination.
* Charge for issuing duplicate ticket to be refunded at PRS center at destination on completion of journey.
* Minimum age for men to avail Senior Citizens concession reduced from 65 to 60 years.
* Concessions to Cancer, Thalassemia major patients, heart patients extended to some other classes of travel. Kidney patients traveling for treatment also to get concession.
* Distance limit and restriction on place of residence for Accredited Press Correspondents availing concession, to be removed. Further, 30 percent concession in Rajdhani/Shatabdi trains also to be given.
Annual Plan 2003-04
* Total plan outlay is Rs. 12918 cr including outlay of Rs. 2311 cr through SRSF.
* Funds received from General Exchequer Rs. 6577 cr, including Rs. 1600 cr contribution to SRSF and Rs. 433 cr from Central Road Fund.
* Market Borrowings budgeted at Rs. 3000 cr , internal generation to provide Rs. 2630 cr and Safety Surcharge collection expected to be Rs. 711 cr.
* Rs. 730 cr to be invested in Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd., for execution of Rail Vikas Yojana Works under new lines, doubling, gauge conversion and electrification.
Budget Estimates 2003-04
* Expected growth in traffic 25 million tonnes of freight and 3 percent increase in number of passengers.
* Ordinary Working Expenses budgeted at Rs. 32460 cr, i.e., 7 percent increase over Revised Estimate 2002-03.
* Dividend due to the General Revenues budgeted at Rs. 2930 cr, to be discharged in full.