Rail commuters in UP put forth their expectations for railway budget

Kanpur/Bijnor, Mar 13 (ANI): Expecting for a 'pro-people' railway budget for fiscal 2012-13, commuters in several parts of Uttar Pradesh put forth their wish list as they pin hope from the central government to provide better facilities and infrastructure.

A commuter in Kanpur said that rail authorities should ensure smooth running of trains and the passengers should be updated with the correct schedule and status.

"All the trains should run on time and the chart displayed on the board should provide proper information to the passengers," said a commuter, Vinod.

Amid concern over increasing train accidents, commuters said that the authorities should seek safety plans as the first priority.

"There should be proper security check as these days there are many train accidents happening these days," said another commuter, Poonam.

Indian Railways is a vital national transportation grid for the country's 1.2 billion people.

But decades of low investment, a patchy safety record and frequent delays mean India has fallen far behind China in building a network fit for Asia's third-largest economy.

Over 336 people were killed and 437 injured in rail accidents in India between April 2010 and mid-January 2011, according to the latest government figures.

Commuters in Bijnor District also expressed their concern and asserted that concessions for the students should be announced.

"The students should also get concession in the railway tickets as the senior citizens get. The students are the future of the nation and they should also get some benefit. The rail budget will be announced and they also have some expectations but no one has paid any heed to the issue," said a student, Rajiv Choudhary.

They further said that hike in railway fares would be a direct blow to the common man.

"The railway fare should be minimized and it should not be raised as the common man suffers due to it," added Choudhary.

Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi will present the Railway Budget for fiscal 2012-13 on Wednesday.

Indian Railways has 114,500 kilometres of total track over a route of 65,000 kilometres and 7,500 stations. It has the world's fourth largest railway network after those of the United States, Russia and China.

The railways carry over 30 million passengers and 2.8 million tons of freight daily. It is the world's second largest commercial or utility employer, by number of employees, with more than 1.36 million employees in its organisation. (ANI)