Railway Budget Hightlights - 3

* Operational ration of 88.5 percent targetted * Defence travel system developed to eliminate system warrants * SMS alerts to be introduced * Paperless ticketing system to be developed * New department to keep stations clean * Waste to energy conversion plants to be created * Toilets at stations need improvement; 650 additional toilets to be created in addition to 120 last year * Investment of Rs.8.5 lakh crore in next five years * Over 20,00 suggestions received on improving facilities * Four goals: Deliver sustained improvement in customer facilities, Make railways safer means of travel, expand substantially, make Indian Railways self-sustainable * Budget part of trilogy: White paper already tabled, this budget, vision document soon * Railways backbone of national connectivity * Will partner with private sector to improve last mile connectivity * Railways unique integrator of modern India * Facilities not improved substantially over past few decades * Vicious cycle of under-investment must end * 1,219 sections on network - most of them overworked * In next five years, intention to substantially augment capacity