No passenger fare hike this year: Velu

Chennai, Jan 23 (UNI) There will be no increase in rail passenger tariff this year too, Union Minister of State for Railways R Velu said today.

At a press meet in Melmaruvathur near here after inaugurating an Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS), he said volume of freight traffic would increase this year. The Railways had achieved rise in axle load by 20 per cent last year and netted a profit of Rs 90 crore.

An exclusive freight corridor between Kolkata-Chennai, Mumbai -Chennai, Goa-Chennai and Mumbai-Kolkata would be established soon.

The freight tariff structure would be restructured to attract more industrialists to use Railways for moving products, Mr Velu said.

On improving passenger amenities at railway stations, he said out of 8050 stations across the country, 528 were graded into A and B categories and these would be made model stations. The platform length would be increased to receive longer trains and improve basic amenities such as retiring rooms.

He appealed to institutions like the Adi Parasakthi Siddhar Peetam to contribute funds for new projects like Velankanni Church administration, which had given Rs two crore for providing broad gauge rail link to the shrine.

In last year's Railway Budget, Rs 827 crore had been allotted for new projects, including electrification between Villupuram and Tiruchirapalli, new BG line between Tindivanam and Tiruvannamalai, gauge conversion between Dindigul and Pollachi, Virudhunagar and Manamadurai. These projects would be taken up this year, he added.

Earlier, inagurating the UTS system at Melmaruvathur railway station, the Minister said the station would be given a face-lift at an investment of Rs one crore for the benefit of pilgrims and public.

He said everyday, about 1.6 crore passengers were travelling by train across the country, of which 16 lakhs passengers were from Mumbai and its surroundings.

UTS would be implemented in 800 more stations across the country.

Replying to a question, he said so far 166 special trains had been operated this year.

In his address, Divisional Railway Manager Mansingh said in Chennai Division, 42 stations would have the UTS system shortly in addition to the existing 32 stations. For providing passenger amenities, a sum of Rs four crore would be spent in Chennai Division this year.

UNI