* Focus during next five years on five areas: tracks, bridges, signalling, rolling stock and stations.

* Signalling to be improved over 19,000 km.

* Capacity augmentation to get Rs.4,410 crore during 2012-13.

* Eighty-five new line projects to be taken up during 2012-13.

Indian Railways aims to cut operating ratio, which is the money spent to earn every Rs 100, to 84.9 per cent in 2012-13 from 95 per cent in the current financial year, Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi

* Improvement of passenger amenities at a cost of Rs.1,112 crore; regional cuisines to be introduced.

* World Bank funding of R.6,500 crore firmed up for dedicated freight corridors; land acquired fo

The responsibility of developing and maintaining thousands of railway stations across the country will be entrusted to a new company under the public private partnership (PPP) route, Railway Minister

* Nominal increase in rail fares after 9 years; Fair up by 5 paise per kilo metre in sleeper class.

* For express trains, hike of 3 paise per kilometre.

* 10 to 20 paise hike in tickets fares.

Stocks of companies associated with railways slumped around noon on Wednesday, soon after the Railway Minister Dinesh Tivedi presented the budget of the network for the next fiscal.

At the Bombay Sto

Following are the prominent highlights of the railway budget for 2012-13 presented in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi:

* No steep increase in passenger fares; 2 paise pe

Two double-decker trains and a Shatabdi train are among 75 new express trains announced in the Rail Budget 2012-13.

Chennai-Bengaluru AC double-decker Express, Habibganj-Indore AC double-decker Expr

The Railway Budget, to be presented on Wednesday, may prove to be ninth successive one in not hiking passenger and freight rates. But keeping in mind infrastructure and safety issues, it is possible t