So the Railway Budget 2014 is finally out but sadly, Mr Railway Minister, Sadananda Gowda has done anything but excite us with his budget speech. Considering the railway fare hikes, we certainly expected more. Anyhoo, let’s not complain. Sure there’s nothing much for women to look forward to but we can keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. Here’s a quick look at the highlights of the Railway Budget speech.
- We’re actually looking at India’s first ever high-speed bullet train along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route. Yes, development is chugging in, even if only slowly. The train is expected to run at a maximum speed of 320km/h and cover 534km between the two cities in two hours. Woohoo! We can also expect 27 express trains to be introduced soon.
- Now for all your Android/ iPhone addicts, guess what… Mr Gowda thinks you shouldn’t have to look away from your screens even for a minute, while you take a joyride across the country. The railways will now offer you wifi-services in all ‘A’ category trains and at A1 stations too. And talking of technology, Mr Gowda plans to popularise e-ticketing through mobile phones and make railway office completely paperless in the next five years! A big move, we think.
- If you’re anything like us, you probably enjoy the piping hot samosas and chai served up by vendors at railway stations. But if that don’t impress you much, you’ll be excited about the soon-to-be-launched food courts at major stations and the pre-cooked, ready-to-eat meals that will be served up by reputed brands.
- For regular commuters, there’ll be some respite some the stink and dirt at railway stations (hopefully!). Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda announced that cleaning services will be outsourced. What’s more, he plans to install CCTVs at major railway stations to monitor cleanliness. So the next time you think of swinging your umbrella at a goon who spits on the platform, you can actually smile and let the authorities deal with him instead. (We hope they will, at least.)
- We also heard that the railways will encourage corporate houses to adopt stations and maintain them. This should definitely do more good.
- Mr Gowda also announced the provision of lifts and escalators via PPP route at all major stations. But didn’t we hear about this in last year’s budget too?
- To satisfy environmental activists, the Railway Minister said that station rooftops will be used to harness solar energy.
- On a different note, the railways will recruit 4,000 women RPF constables.
What do you think of Sadananda Gowda’s Railway Budget? Leave us a comment and let us know.
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