Rail Budget Special "Highlights"

* Railways must attract 10 percent of the Rs 20 lakh crore government expects to spend on infrastructure during 12th Plan * Railways expect gross budgetary support of Rs 2.5 lakh crore during 12th Plan. * Collective challenge to formulate viable funding mechanism for modernisation.

* Railways should contribute 2 percent of GDP from the present 1 percent. *487 approved projects at various levels of execution *Market borrowing through IRFC at Rs 50,000 cr needed in 2012 *Modernize rolling stock via fresh purchases of wagons, engines *Plan to upgrade 19,000 kms of tracks in 5 years *To create 1000 stations through PPP route in 5 years *Station development org to be funded via PPP *Delhi-Kolkata travel time to be brought down to 14 hours from 17 hours *Facilitate running of longer and heavier freight trains *To introduce double decker container trains *Total cost of signalling for five years is Rs 35,000 crores *17 gauge conversion projects will be completed in FY 12-13 *825 kms of gauge conversion projects to be completed *Rs 6872 crore allocated under the new line plan *Development of major stations to create 50,000 jobs *New lines to be laid in under-developed parts *Plan to enhance GPS use in railways *To complete over 45 new lines in FY13, stretching over 700 kms *Rs 1102 crores for passenger amenities in FY 13 as compared to Rs 700 cr in previous year *To set up elevated suburban corridors in Navi Mumbai. Working on PPP for elevated Churchgate-Virar corridor *New lines to be set up for Kolkata Metro *Railways to take up linking of Agartala to Akura in Bangladesh. *31 projects of over 5,000 km being implemented with the support of state governments. *All meter gauge, narrow gauge sections to be made broad gauge, except heritage lines, by end of 12th Five Year Plan. *725 km of new line completed in the current year, Rs 6,725 crore for new lines, says Trivedi. *14 new rail line survey to be taken up in 2012-13. *Budgetary support pegged at Rs 25,000 crore for the coming year as against projected requirement of Rs 45,000 crore. *Logistics Corporation will be created for providing logistics solutions for rail users. Earlier before leaving for Parliament, Trivedi told reporters, "The budget is going to be very good for the country and the common man. I have to make sure that Indian Railways is solid like gold." "The railways are one of the most important infrastructure. Without the railways growing, India's GDP cannot grow," the minister added.