2nd LD Writethru: India unveils populist yet reformist railway budget

India Thursday unveiled its railway budget for the next financial year, in what is being billed as a populist yet reformist one.

Indian Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's first full-fledged budget in the Parliament, keeping passenger fares intact and announcing to invest a record 137 billion U.S. dollars to revive the ailing train networks in the next five years.

The Minister also pledged to make the world's fourth largest railway network an abode of cleanliness and spelt out measures to improve passenger safety like installations of closed-circuit TV cameras in women compartments and launching a pan-India helpline.

"There will be no hike in passenger fares. But there will be an SMS service to inform passengers about train timings and Wi-Fi services will also be available at 400 railway stations," Prabhu said, but he did not announce any additional trains, in a clear move away from tradition.

On investments of 137 billion U.S. dollars over the next five years, he said that the infusion would include funds raised by market borrowing. "Spending will be focused on improving and expanding existing railway lines," he said.

Spelling out passenger safety, the minister said that surveillance cameras would soon be introduced in select trains and suburban trains for women safety. "We will also start an all India toll free helpline number 182 for safety related complaints," he said.

In accordance with Modi's "Clean India campaign," he announced a series of measures in this regard, including replacement of ordinary toilets in trains with bio toilets in the future. He also appealed to commuters to keep trains clean.

In the beginning of his budget speech, he laid out four goals -- sustainable improvement in customer experience, making railways a safer means of travel, expansion of capacity and modernizing rail infrastructure, and attaining financial sustainability.

The Indian prime minister has hailed the budget, saying that arrangements have been made for women's security, helpline, better food and how to make world class railway stations.

"Rail budgets used to focus on adding number of coaches but now its development centric. We want services that are transparent. The railways minister has taken step towards corruption-free future," Modi said.

The Indian Railways criss-crosses the country from north to south, carrying millions of passengers daily. Endi