Budget 2017: Rail security, cleanliness top on Arun Jaitley’s agenda

Railway budget was merged with Union budget for the first time.

Rail security and cleanliness topped the agenda in finance minister Arun Jaitley’s budget for 2017, the first time in 92 years that India didn’t have a separate rail budget.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley said unmanned railway level crossings to be eliminated by 2020. (HT Photo)

1 Service charge on e-tickets booked through IRCTC to go

2 500 stations to be made disabled friendly by providing lifts, escalators

3 All coaches to have bio-toilets by 2019

4 A rail safety fund with corpus of Rs 100,000 crore to be created over five years

5 SMS-based clean-my-coach service to be launched

7 25 stations to be redeveloped

8 Unmanned railway level crossings to be eliminated by 2020

9 Tariffs to be fixed on the basis of cost, social obligation and competition

10 A new metro rail policy will be announced, this will open up new jobs for our youth