New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said that Railways plans to upgrade its capacity of issuing tickets from 25,000 to 2.25 lakh per minute and attending to enquiries from 40,000 to 4 lakh per minute, Railway Minister. At a press conference here, the minister also said a target has been set to lay new railway tracks for a distance of 7,000 kilometres in financial year 2023-24.
“We plan to improve the passenger reservation system’s back-end infrastructure. There will be significant improvement, almost 10 times… In terms of hardware, software and also website speed. At present, the capacity of ticketing is around 25,000 tickets per minute. The target is to upgrade it to 2.25 lakh per minute,” he said.
“The capacity for attending to enquiries will also be upgraded from 40,000 per minute to 4 lakh per minute, Vaishnaw added.
He also announced that “Jan Suvidha” convenience stores will be constructed at 2,000 railway stations across the country, which will remain open round-the-clock.
“The stores will have all stock of daily usage items, which the passengers can simply pick on their way back home after deboarding,” he said.
The 2022-23 target of laying railway tracks for a distance of 4,500 kilometres (12 kilometres per day) has already been achieved, the minister said, adding, “Before 2014, this used to be four kilometres per day.
The railways has set a target of laying new railway tracks for a distance of 7,000 kilometres next year. These tracks will include new lines, doubling and gauge conversion”.
The minister informed that so far 594 outlets have been opened at 550 stations under the One Station One Product (OSPS) scheme.
“The number of these stations will be taken up to 750 in this year,” he said.
OSPS aims to encourage indigenous and specialised products and crafts of India by providing display and sale outlets on railway stations across the country.
Vaishnaw also said that with the highest-ever capital outlay for the railways in the Union Budget 2023-24 at Rs 2.40 lakh crore, Vande Metro, a mini version of the Vande Bharat Express trains, will be developed by the railways for people living around big cities to travel to and fro in comfort, between their place of work and hometowns.
Salient Features of Budget 2023-24 for Northern Railway (Pink Book Highlights for NR)
• Total Budget allotment for Northern Railway for the year 2023-24 is Rs. 25305.84 Crore.
• Last year Northern Railway allotment was Rs. 21701.40 Crore.
• There is an increase of Rs. 3604.44 Crore which is 17% higher than the last year.
Following are the feature of Northern Railway Budget 2023-24:-
Major Plan Heads Description Remarks
16 Traffic Facilities- Yard remodeling and others This Financial Year Northern Railway has been allotted Rs. 1538.80 cr. for the work of Traffic Facilities which is 234% higher than the outlay of last year (2022-23).
30 Road Safety Works- Road Over/ Under Bridges This Financial Year Northern Railway has been allotted Rs. 571.79cr. for the work of Road Safety Works ROB/RUB which is 23% higher than the outlay of last year (2022-23).
31 Tack Renewals This Financial Year Northern Railway has been allotted Rs. 2421.00 cr. for the work of Tracks Renewal which is 25% higher than the outlay of last year (2022-23).
32 Bridge Works, Tunnel Works and Approaches This Financial Year Northern Railway has been allotted Rs. 124.00 cr. for the work of Bridge which is 124% higher than the outlay of last year (2022-23).
33 Signallingand Telecommunication This Financial Year Northern Railway has been allotted Rs. 400.54 cr. for the work of Signaling & Telecommunicationwhich is 33% higher than the outlay of last year (2022-23).
36 Other Electrical Works, incl TRD This Financial Year Northern Railway has been allotted Rs. 117.64 cr. for the work of Other Electrical which is 181% higher than the outlay of last year (2022-23).
42 Workshops Including Production Units This Financial Year Northern Railway has been allotted Rs. 400.95 cr. for the work of Workshops Including Production Units which is 254% higher than the outlay of last year (2022-23).
51 Staff Welfare This Financial Year Northern Railway has been allotted Rs. 59.70 cr. for the work of Staff Welfare which is 27% higher than the outlay of last year (2022-23).
53 Customer Amenities This Financial Year Northern Railway has been allotted Rs. 5148.77 cr. for the work of Customer Amenities which is 2088% higher than the outlay of last year (2022-23).
64 Other Specified works This Financial Year Northern Railway has been allotted Rs. 245.66 cr. for the work of Other Specified which is 94% higher than the outlay of last year (2022-23).
The following sanctioned works have been allottedadequate funds,to speed up the work:-
Plan Head Name of the sanctioned work Sanctioned Cost
(In Cr.) Outlay for
2023-24
(In Cr.)
New Lines Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla
(290 KM) 37012.26 5310.00
New Lines Rishikesh- Karnprayag (125.09 KM) 38477.87 4500.00
New Lines Nangal Dam Talwara (83.74 KM)- New Broad Gauge Line & taking over siding Mukerian-Talwara (29.16 KM) 2017.96 450.00
New Lines Chandigarh-Baddi (33.23 KM) 1540.14 452.50
New Lines Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri (63.1 KM) 8077.17 1000.00
New Lines Deoband (Muzaffarnagar)- Roorkee (27.45 KM) 1054.34 200.00
Doubling Rajpura-Bhatinda (172.64 KM) 2720.00 250.00
Doubling Barabanki-Akbarpur (161 KM) 1800.00 520.00
Doubling Jaunpur-Tanda (77.25 KM) 676.36 340.00
Doubling Barabanki-Malhaur- 3rd& 4th Line (32.84 KM) 407.05 50.00
Doubling Janghai – Pratapgarh – Amethi (87 KM) 721.72 250.00
Doubling Phaphamau- Unnao via KundaHarnamganj (200 KM) 1600.00 50.00
Doubling AnandVihar – Tilak Bridge – 3rd& 4th line (9.77 KM) 586.36 45.00
Doubling Ludhiana – Mullanpur (21KM) 234.78 125.00
Doubling Ludhiana-Kila Raipur (19 KM) with freight line at Gill Station 237.64 150.00
Doubling Janghai – Phaphamau – Doubling with electrification (46.79 KM) 1514.48 300.00
Traffic Facilities Shakurbasti- Coaching terminal in metre gauge area. 257.22 70.00
Traffic Facilities Bijwasan- Coaching /freight handling terminal/ 418.79 250.00
Traffic Facilities Lucknow-Saharanpur – Addl directional up & down loops (17 Nos) 213.11 98.63
Traffic Facilities Holambi Kalan – Addl acquisition of land & development of world class freight terminal 800.62 150.00
Traffic Facilities Lucknow – 4line entry & exit with yard remodelling 95.15 62.00
Traffic Facilities Varanasi – Yard remodelling work (Phase-II) 568.07 96.00
Traffic Facilities Mughalsarai-LKO-MB-UMB-JUC-ASR-(1150 Km)-Longer loops 309.68 100.00
Traffic Facilities Jammu-second entry in c/w dev. of coaching terminal. 222.91 172.00
Customer Amenities Ayodhya- Redevelopment of station and circulating area etc. in connection with development of stations of religious and cultural importance. 240.89 50.00
Customer Amenities Northern Railway – Major upgradation of stations (Bijwasan Railway station through RLDA 310.13 180.00
Plan outlay for 2023-24 for ongoing as well as new works:-
Important Plan Heads Description Outlay in
Cr. of Rs.
11 New Lines (Construction) 11617.30
15 Doubling 2155.31
16 Traffic Facilities- Yard remodeling and others 1538.80
17 Computerization 332.89
21 Rolling Stock 30.34
29 Road Safety Works- Level crossings 88.84
30 Road Safety Works- Road Over/ Under Bridges 571.79
31 Track renewals 2421.00
32 Bridge Works-Tunnel Works and Approaches 124.00
33 Signalling and Telecommunication 400.54
36 Other Electrical Works, incl TRD 117.64
41 Machinery and Plant 47.83
42 Workshops Including Production Units 400.95
51 Staff Welfare 59.70
53 Customer Amenities 5148.77
64 Other Specified Works 245.66
65 Training/HRD 4.48
Total Plan Outlay for 2023-24 25305.84