Regular travellers in trains on Thursday expressed satisfaction over the allocations made by Finance Minister for the Railways in the General Budget 2018-19. While a few complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi for strengthening the infrastructure, there were others who criticised that the issue of women safety was not raised in the Rail Budget.
After the Rail Budget was announced with proposals to expand railway work, install CCTV cameras, provide Wi-Fi facility at 2,500 stations and implement policies to enhance the safety of passengers, The Pioneer visited the New Delhi and the Old Delhi Railway Stations and interacted with passengers.
Standing at the Platform number 1 of the New Delhi Railway Station (NDRS), Sundar Singh, an Army Hawaldaar, said, “I have not read the complete Budget. However, I heard that the Government has increased the share of the Railway Budget. It will help in improving the facilities. But it would have been better if the Railways slashed the ticket prices.”
Richa Chauhan, who hails from Ittawah and works in Delhi, was heading towards the platform no. 16 at the station. A frequent traveller in trains, she hailed Centre's focus on the issue of passenger safety. She said, “The previous Governments gave importance only to infrastructure projects. The Modi Government is the only Government, which is thinking of safety aspect.” She, however, wished the Railway Budget addressed issue of sky rocketing cancellation charges.
Sahil Sharma, a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant travelling from Delhi to Saranth in Punjab, said the policy appears to be good on paper. “If the Government successfully installs CCTV cameras and provides Wi-Fi facilities, it will be a massive boost to the Railway system in India,” said Sahil, adding, “The Government should also work on improving the safety of women passengers.”
At the Old Delhi Railway station, 30-year-old Deep Chandra, a businessman from Meerut, said, “All the aspects have been covered in Rail Budget. However, there is one thing I wish the Railways look into deplorable condition of railway tracks.”