Rail Budget 2015: 10 things that can ease your travel burden

New Delhi: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu promised modern amenities with no fare hike as he presented the Railway Budget 2015 on Thursday. Prabhu announced multiple initiatives including better ticketing facilities, upgraded stations and cleaner train

“There will be no hike in railway passenger fares. We will focus on improving passenger amenities," he said.

Here are 10 things that can ease your train travel woes:

No rail fare hike: Suresh Prabhu has spared passengers from any hike in fares but made changes in freight rates to rake in more money while ruling out privatisation.

Ticketing facilities: Tickets can be booked four months/120 days in advance against the current 60 days.

24x7 helpline: A 24x7 toll free number 138 will be launched to attend to passengers on real time basis. Mobile application to address railways complaints is also on the agenda.

Surveillance: For the safety of women passengers, surveillance cameras will be provided on a pilot basis in selected mainline coaches and ladies' compartments of suburban coaches without compromising on privacy.

Comfort: Railways have approached NIFT, Delhi for designing bed linen. They will also launch a programme to improve quality and cleanliness of the linen within the next six months.

Catering: Food can be ordered through the IRCTC website at the time of booking of tickets.

Faster trains: Average speed of trains will increase. Trains will become more punctual. The speed of 9 railway corridors will be increased from the existing 110 and 130 kmph to 160 and 200 kmph respectively.

Cleanliness: The Rail Budget proposes to create a new department for keeping stations and trains clean. Professional agencies and staff will be trained in latest cleaning practices.

Improved stations: Wi-Fi at all A1 and A category stations will be provided. As part of Digital India initiative, Wi-Fi will also be provided at B category stations.

Mobile phone charging: Mobile phone charging facilities would be provided in general class coaches and the number of charging facilities would be increased in sleeper class coaches.