The Central Government is going to present the railway budget along with the Union budget on February 1. Earlier the railway budget was presented separately, but in 2016, the union cabinet had decided to merge the Railway Budget with the General Budget, thus ending the 92-year-old tradition of having a separate Railway Budget.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her fourth budget on February 1 and according to sources, the central government is going to increase the outlay of the railway budget by 15-20 percent this time. Last year, the government had allocated Rs 1,10,055 crore to the Railways. This time around Rs 2.5 lakh crore is likely to be earmarked.  Union Budget 2022: Healthcare Industry Seeks Priority Status, Increase in Fund Allocation to 3% of GDP

Before the budget, there is an atmosphere of enthusiasm in many sectors related to railways. The central government is expected to announce new facilities for passengers. The Railways has incurred a loss of Rs 26,338 crore in the last one year. However, despite the damage caused by COVID-19, experts believe that the chances of a hike in train fares are negligible.

It has also been said that the Railways is also considering other measures apart from increasing the fare to increase its earnings. In the era of pandemic, most of the earnings of the Railways came from freight transportation. Therefore, efforts are being made by the Railways to prepare separate freight corridors. Now it can be further accelerated, which will also reduce the pressure on passenger trains.

About 10 new light trains (made of aluminum) can be announced for long distance travel in the Rail Budget. Plans are being made to strengthen rail connectivity of electoral states and metro cities. For these, the government can involve some private companies. Bullet train can also be announced between Delhi and Varanasi.

It is being reported that solar power capacity will be developed in Indian Railways to reduce dependence on electricity and diesel as well as reduce carbon emissions. Along with this, the target of 100% electrification by 2030 can be announced in the National Rail Plan.

According to the report, redevelopment projects will be announced for the betterment of the stations through PPP model. For this 12 corridors have been identified. Many companies had shown interest in this.  Union Budget 2022–23: Rise in Old-Age Pension, Re-Engaging Seniors Among Demands

This year the government can also announce the formation of Rail Development Authority, which will give suggestions to the government on issues related to fares. Also, plans are likely to be implemented for development of more projects like Tejas to connect various tourist destinations across the country.

The government could also make big announcements regarding infrastructure in the budget. Re-development of 500 railway stations could be announced in this budget, to be named `Kayakalp` by the government.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 30, 2022 03:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).