Some highlights of the Railway Minister's speech:

• Rs 68788 cr for 5 years cash surplus
• Dividend of Rs 88 rupees

There were lean season discounts offered

• Peak season attracted surcharges
• Railway fund Balance up at Rs 20,480 cr
• Railways adopted tariff to up market share revenue
• Apr-Dec freight loading revenue is up 8-10% at Rs 34,700 cr
• Railways will look at leveraging telecom boom for ticketing
• There will be an increase in ticketing counters to 15,000 in 2 years from the current 3,000 now

Revenue from passenger fares increased by 14%
FY09 freight loading seen at 790 MT vs 785 MT in FY08
FY08 rail operating ratio at 76.3%
Trials for mobile ticketing have already started
Railways to launch the Go-Mumbai Card/ Smart Card
Online information display in overnight trains of long distance
Rs 4000 cr to be spent on 36000 coaches for gerent toilets in next 5 year plan
Low maintenance and more comfortable stainless steel coaches to be introduced from 2010
To have online control of trains in 2 years
To link trains via software communication by 2009
New coaches in all Rajdhani trains by 2010-11
To start making steel coaches from FY09
Level of Platforms to be upgraded for passenger convenience
30 Bigger stations to have multi level parking system
50 large stations to have lifts / escalators- for convenience of senior citizens

• 33 million ton loading was done in the year
• Additional earnings of Rs 2000 cr on freight service
• To upgrade infrastructure in 7 years at Rs 75,000 cr
• 310 mn tonnes of additional freight loading in the next 3 yrs
• 75000 cr in next 7 yrs to further develop saturated transportation lines
• To up auto ticket sale machines to 6,000 in 2 years
• Plan to set up 20,000 km high density network
• FY08 coal freight loading seen at 336 MT

Msg By Mr Rajesh AVR