Train schedules to be recast to ensure punctuality: Lalu

New Delhi, Feb 24 (UNI) Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today said recasting of time schedules, especially of long distance trains, was a matter of priority for the Railways to ensure punctuality.

''The railways plan to start a "zero-based" time table to facilitate the timely arrival and departure of long distance trains,--a long standing grievance of the people. The time table will also be recast so that long distance trains do not reach their destinations late or at odd hours,''Mr Prasad told a television channel.

Speaking to CNN-IBN soon after presenting his third railway budget in the Lok Sabha, Mr Prasad also said a dedicated "freight corridor" to increase rail traffic will be introduced.

On the question of safety, he said the raiways planned a huge investment for setting up a safety infrastructure to decrease the number of accidents.

''We have planned an investment of Rs 4 crore in the next six years for improvement of safety infrastructure, including the installation of anti-collision devices, repairing railway tracks and bridges,'' Mr Prasad said.

On charges that he had favoured Bihar in the railway budget considering that a major share of the 55 new trains unveiled in it were from the state, Mr Prasad quipped,''if the train starts from Bihar, then it goes to other destination too.'' On the congestion on the Mumbai suburban railway network, the Minister said,''we are running suburban trains in Mumbai and Kolkata under losses as fare have not been increased for the trains for a long time. To rectify the problem of congestion, we plan to widen the lines on the network,''he said.

UNI AR RA PA RK1745