Minister for Railways Mallikarjuna Kharge will present his interim budget on Wednesday.There are indications that passenger fares may not be touched,
barring minor changes in a few segments in the first rail budget to be presented by Kharge. Better passenger amenities and safety are expected to be on top of Kharge’s agenda. He is likely to announce measures to enhance safety for passengers, such as installation of fire safety systems and use of fire-retardant materials in more trains, while announcing implementation of the Train Collision and Avoidance System on more routes.
There could be employee-friendly announcement for porters, gangmen and trackmen in the budget. The minister could also announce semi-high speed trains on a few busy corridors. Kharge’s home state Karnataka may get a big project. The minister is likely to announce a new 252.5 km Wadi-Gadag line. On passenger amenities front, the minister is expected to announce measures like installation of upgraded real-time train information system at stations and operation of automatic ticket vending machines at many stations.
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