RAILWAY BUDGET 2014-15

Updated : Jul 12, 2014

Rail Budget 2014: India's first bullet train on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route

"For the bullet train projects, infrastructure upgradation is needed and for this an initial budgetary allowance of Rs 100 crore is proposed," Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda said in Parliament.

Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda (Photo: Reuters)

Updated : Jul 12, 2014

Railway Budget 2014: Full text of Sadananda Gowda's speech

Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda presented the Rail Budget for 2014-15 financial year in Parliament on Tuesday. Here's the full text of his speech.

Updated : Jul 9, 2014

'Focus on technology is welcome in Railway Budget, says Arvind Mahajan

The initiatives on bullet trains, high-speed trains, advanced e-reservation system are long term.

Updated : Jul 9, 2014

'Wi-Fi on trains will help work on the go'

Also, the introduction of Wi-Fi in select stations and trains will make more people consider railway over other modes of transport since a major chunk of "work on the go" population will be able to travel without losing work.

The rail budget also opened the doors to investment from private players and foreign investors . Gowda said the proposal will be discussed with the Cabinet.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Rail Budget opens door to private funding for new projects

The first rail Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has made it clear that if the rail network needs to be fixed, users will have to pay for it.

What the market wanted to see was if the rail budget addressed the issue of revenues so that Indian Railways doesn't have a problem to run.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Rail Budget halts market rally, Sensex falls 2%

The market had run up on big hopes from the Budget (including rail budget) that saw the Sensex crossing the 26,000 mark, and players offloaded their positions after the rail budget didn't meet their expectations.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Sadananda Gowda's Rail Budget 2014 announces ambitious projects

In his Railway Budget speech, the minister indicated that most new projects would be done via the public-private partnership model. He also emphasised on exploring alternative sources of resource mobilisation and not depend on fare increases alone.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

58 new trains proposed in Rail Budget

The new trains include six AC Express trains, 27 Express trains, eight passenger trains, two Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) services and 5 Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) services besides extension of 11 existing trains.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Railway Budget: Ready-to-eat meals of reputed brands in trains

"In order to improve quality, hygiene of on-board catering services and to provide variety, I propose to introduce pre-cooked (ready-to-eat) food of reputed brands in a phased manner," Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said, expressing concern over catering services.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Rail Budget: Indian Railways to borrow Rs 11,790 crore in 2014-15

"As I have increased internal resource component of Plan, I propose to scale down market borrowings... to Rs 11,790 crore," Railways Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said in his proposals while presenting the Rail Budget on Tuesday.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Rail Budget 2014: Tourist trains to connect pilgrim centres

Special pilgrim circuits like Devi Circuit, Jyotirling Circuit, Jain Circuit among others have been identified by railways for running pilgrim trains in the Rail Budget 2014-15.

Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda outside Parliament (PHOTO: Reuters)

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Rail Budget 2014: No hike in fares, Railways to attract FDI

Having hiked fares to the tune of 14.2 per cent recently, Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda who presented the new government's first budget in Lok Sabha said he plans to leverage railway PSU resources by bringing in their investible funds in infrastructure projects.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Rail Budget 2014: Govt to spend Rs 65,450 crore on railways in 2014/2015

The government also expects total investment in railways through public-private partnerships to total Rs 6,005 crore in the current financial year that ends in March 2015.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Rail Budget: Railway minister lists four new ways to mobilise resources

Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda said a planned tax holiday scheme which will incentivise investments for railways projects that have a long gestation period will also be promoted.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Rail Budget: Railway reservations to be overhauled through e-ticketing

"We will allow 120,000 users to simultaneously book online", Gowda said after he began his Budget presentation quoting the philosophy of Kautilya about the happiness of the ruler lying "in the happiness of the people."

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Rail Budget 2014: Govt to push private investment in railway network

While presenting the Railway Budget, Gowda said his ministry would also seek cabinet approval for allowing foreign direct investment in the state-owned network, but passenger services would be excluded.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Rail Budget 2014: Gowda says cleanliness, hygienic food top priority

"Battery-abled cars will be introduced in the platforms for the differently-abled and senior citizens for easy mobility," Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda said while presenting his maiden Rail Budget in Parliament.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Railway-related stocks fall on profit-taking ahead of budget

Titagarh Wagons Ltd, which has risen 183 per cent in 2014 compared to the Nifty's gain of 23.65 per cent, falls 4.4 per cent. Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd is down 1.3 per cent and BEML Ltd slumps 3.7 per cent.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Hope my Railway Budget will meet expectations, says Sadananda Gowda

Last month, the Railway Minister had listed safety and security of women and the elderly as also passenger amenities like drinking water, waiting areas and rest rooms, as his priority areas.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Railway Ministry joins Facebook, Twitter to reach out to more people

Besides, the national transporter will also have its presence on YouTube.

Updated : Jul 8, 2014

Railway Budget 2014: PM Modi likely to board FDI express

The country's creaky and overburdened railway infrastructure desperately needs to be modernised and expanded, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made up his mind to allow FDI in Indian Railways in order to help mobilise the resources needed.