Railway Budget 2013 – Key Highlights
Changes in Fares:
- No hike in passenger fares
- Propose hike in reservation fee, tatkal charge by Rs 15 - 25 in Sleeper class & Rs 100 for executive class
- Supplementary fee for tatkal, cancellations, reservations
- To increase supplementary charge for super fast trains
Freights Outlook:
- Average hike in freight below 5% on fuel price hike
- Fuel-linked adjustment to raise freight by avg 5%
- No increase in parcel, luggage transport rates
- Freight charges on urea up by 5.8%
- Freight charges on diesel, LPG up by 5.8%
- Freight charges on iron and steel, iron ore, cement up 5.8%
- Freight charges on grains to increase by 5.8%
- Freight charges on coal to rise by 5.8%
- Scaled down FY13 freight target due to economy slowdown
- 1,500 km to be awarded for dedicated freight corridor FY14
- Propose fuel adjusted freight rate increase from Apr 1
- To have dynamic fuel adjustment charges for freight tariff
Financial Operations:
- FY14 planned investment 633.63 bln rupees
- FY13 railway losses seen 246 bln rupees vs 225 bln yr ago
- FY13 freight earnings revised target 859.76 bln rupee
- Aim 45 bln rupees by scrap sale in FY14
- Expect 66 bln rupee gain via passenger fare revision FY14
- Depreciation reserve fund at 75 bln rupees
- FY14 passenger earning target 422.10 bln rupees
- FY14 freight revenue earning target 935.54 bln rupees, up 9%
- FY14 operating ratio targeted at 87.8%
- FY14 gross receipts target 1.44 trln rupees
- Number of passengers to increase by 5.2% in FY14
- FY14 gross traffic receipt target 1.44 trln rupees
- FY13 gross traffic receipt seen at 1.25 trln rupees
- Passengers earning target 325 bln rupees in FY13
- Hope to mobilise 60 bln rupees via PPP route in FY14
- FY13 operating ratio estimated 88.8%
Safety, Modernisation:
- To make 10-year corporate plan for rail safety
- Plan to introduce corporate safety plan for 10 yrs from 2014
- Need support from central road fund to cut level crossings
- Train protection warning system to be implemented
- 10,797 level crossings to be eliminated in 12th plan
- Won't add new level crossings
- Safety fund provisioning inadequate
- 40% of rail accidents, 60% of fatalities at level crossings
