Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda yesterday tried to walk the tightrope between a populist Railway Budget, and one which would be too harsh on commuters &mdash; keeping a wary eye on the financials as he did so. He announced several measures which, if implemented, will make the Indian Railways a little more hi-tech, hygienic and comfortable.
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Authorities said that they would get private firms on a contractual basis for cleaning and maintaining railway stations and trains. They would also keep a check on the quality of the work with the help of CCTV cameras. &ldquo;We will ask the contractor to present their workers in front of the camera when they come for the cleaning job.
Earlier, we weren&rsquo;t checking the number of persons they brought for the job,&rdquo; said a senior Central Railway official. If the railways are to be believed, cleaning at almost 50 major stations will be outsourced to professional firms.
Railways have also approved speeds of 160 kmph to 200 kmph on existing corridors, calling these trains semi-highspeed. As far as safety is concerned, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) is currently in the process of recruiting 17,000 constables. 4,000 women RPF constables will also be taken on, to provide security to women in ladies&rsquo; coaches, both in suburban and long-distance trains.
New tech, new brands The Railways also plans to bring closed-door local trains to the city. Additionally, they claim the city&rsquo;s first AC local train will arrive by September this year. The new Bombardier rakes, which are currently being tested, will also be procured in the next two years.
Outstation travellers have 8 new long-distance trains from the city, and A1- and A-category stations, such as CST, Dadar, Andheri, Churchgate, Thane, etc will have Wi-Fi connectivity. Major stations will also get battery-operated carts to ferry disabled and senior citizens.
If the quality of food appals you, there&rsquo;s good news. Gowda announced that the railways are in talks with brands like McDonald&rsquo;s, KFC, Subway, Kamat&rsquo;s etc, to set up outlets on stations. You can order food, via email or phone, from these brands and will be able to get your food delivered to your seat when your train arrives at the station where the outlet is present.
Food courts are in the offing at major stations and authorities will also conduct a third-party audit to improve catering services on trains. Passenger feedback will be taken via IVRS systems, and shoddy service will lead to cancellation of the caterer&rsquo;s contract.
CM unhappy with rail budget
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is miffed with the Railway Minister for ignoring his demands in the Railway Budget yesterday. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very tepid budget compared to the one presented during the UPA rule,&rdquo; said the CM in his reaction to the Budget presented in Parliament yesterday.
Chavan had submitted a copy of his letter to railway minister D V Sadananda Gowda, which he had sent to his predecessor Mallikarjun Kharge in January this year. But, Gowda has turned a blind eye towards Chavan&rsquo;s wishlist.
&ldquo;Nothing special has been offered to the state, even though the new railway minister was apprised of the state&rsquo;s issues,&rdquo; the CM said, adding that the lack of provisions for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project may hamper development in Mumbai.
Chavan said that, despite public demand, there were no commitments made towards the Pune-Nashik and Parli-Beed-Nagar railway routes. He had also demanded approval for six new projects from Vidarbha, north and western Maharashtra, an increase in services from Dahanu, Virar and Borivli, and Rs 100 crore for the Panvel-Karjat and Airoli-Kalwa corridors.
Besides this, he had asked for increased facilities for railway commuters in view of the Ardha Mahakumbh, at Nasik Road, Deolali and Odha stations. &ldquo;But, hardly any demand from the state has been met with a positive response,&rdquo; said an official from Mantralaya.

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mid-day gives you the lowdown on the prominent features of the rail budget and what it proposes to bring to Mumbai

Rail minister promises clean, fast, and tech-savvy Railways

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