Highlights of the Railway Budget

New Delhi, Feb 24 (UNI) Following are the highlights of the Railway Budget for 2006-07 presented in the Lok Sabha by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today.

- No increase in passenger fares - Reduction in AC-I fares by 18 per cent and AC-II fares by 10 pc - Fully AC 'Garib Rath' with fares about 20 pc lower than present AC-III to be run on pilot basis - No across-the-board increase in freight charges - 55 new trains to start - Dedicated Freight Corridor to start in Western and Eastern routes at an investment of Rs 22,000 crore.

- High speed 150 km per hour trains also to start on Delhi-Kanpur-Lucknow route - Largest ever Plan outlay of Rs 23,475 crore - 50 per cent concessions in second class fares for farmers and milk producers for travelling for training - 50 per cent concessions in second class fares to disabled persons travelling for limb transplant - Over 200 mail express trains to be made superfast.

- Plotforms at 200 stations to increase in length - New technology passenger coaches to be introduced in Patna and Sealdah Rajdhanis - Public-Private-Partnership to get a major thrust - ATMs,cyber cafes to be provided at all major stations - e-ticket charges reduced . These can also be bought from travel agents.

- Four popular trains to be provided with world class passenger amenties.

- Journey times of Shatabadis,Rajdhanis and of certain mail express trains to reduce.

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