Rail Budget: Slew of passenger amenities announced

New Delhi, Feb 26: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu Thursday announced a slew of passenger facilities in his maiden budget including user-friendly ladders to mount upper berths to increasing lower-berth quota for senior citizens. The other amenities are: ** Unreserved ticket purchase made simpler through smart phones, debit cards ** Introduction of 'Operation Five Minutes' to ensure that a passenger travelling unreserved can purchase a ticket within five minutes ** Introduction of 17,000 bio-toilets in trains ** Surveillance cameras on select mainline and ladies compartments ** All India 24 X 7 helpline 138 from March 1; Toll free No.182 - for security complaints ** All newly-manufactured coaches to be braille-enabled ** Online booking for wheel chairs to be enabled ** Wi-Fi facility to be extended to category B stations ** SMS alerts to be introduced to inform passengers in advance about the updated arrival/ departure time of trains at starting or destination stations ** New department to keep stations clean ** Toilets at stations need improvement; 650 additional toilets to be created in addition to 120 last year ** Rs.120 crore provided for lifts and escalators to facilitate movement of passengers and goods ** Collaboration with NIFT and NID for better bed rolls, inner coach designs ** For the benefit of the soldiers, a Defence Travel System has been developed for elimination of warrants to make travel easier. This facility has been commissioned in 600 locations. **To expand water vending machines to most railway stations to ensure availability of clean drinking water at very low cost to people **The facility of self-operated lockers would also gradually be made available at stations **TTEs would be instructed to help senior citizens, pregnant women and differently-abled people in obtaining lower berths **Middle bay of coaches will be reserved for women and senior citizens for reasons of safety