What you can expect from the Railway Budget

Railway budgets are usually a bit of all things to all people. Here is a Mint checklist on what you can expect in this year’s budget, beyond the usual projects headed to Bihar, the home state of railway minister Lalu Prasad

For businesses

1. An estimated 30% increase in capital investments, including new coach and locomotive factories.

2. An unprecedented role for private companies to help bridge a Rs73,000 crore investment gap over the next five years.

3. A lot more money into much- needed, dedicated freight-only corridors with mega logistics hubs along the route.

4. Surplus land to be put to use for office complexes and mall projects.

5. Stations with specialized storage facilities, especially for farm produce, including cold storage.

For passengers

6. No major increase in passenger fares amid general concerns about price hikes.

7. A slew of customized packages to target tourists: think more Palaces on Wheels.

8. A host of new trains, especially the so-called garib raths and fully air-conditioned subsidized
trains.

9. Spruced up stations: expect multi-level underground parking, food and shopping arcades, multiplexes.

10. Improved passenger amenities with better on-board entertainment and services.