Your rail travel by AC coaches from the national capital to Mumbai, Kolkata or Chennai, will become costlier by at least Rs140 with the Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi announcing a steep rise in passe

* Railways to invest Rs.7.35 lakh crore during 12th Five Year Plan period (2012-17), a quantum jump from the Rs.1.92 lakh crore invested in previous plan period.

* Railways must attract 10 percent of

While the fare hikes in the railway budget for 2012-13 didn't cause much of a stir among the public, the man on the street remained skeptic of the government's ability to deliver on the facilities pro

* Outlay of Rs 60,100 crore during 2012-13, the highest ever.

* Railways will require Rs 14 lakh crore in the next 10 years for modernisation.

* Aim to bring down operating ratio from 90 per cent to

For long Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's trusted pointsman in New Delhi, Dinesh Trivedi, a trained pilot now in charge of the vast Indian Railway network, has fallen out with his leader les

* 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.

The seven north-eastern states which hold the key for Trinamool Congress to emerge as a national party could be bestowed with a slew of new rail projects in the upcoming Rail Budget.

The Railway

The Railway Budget for 2011-2012 has offered a slew of concessions to a variety of people, ranging from media to physically handicapped, to senior citizens, to women and armed forces personnel and their parents.

It was a populist budget that was on expected lines. No hike in passenger fares and no increase in freight rates despite the poor financial condition of the Railways, thanks in particular to the burden of the Sixth Pay Commission. Passenger fares have not been increased now for the eighth year running.