Union Budget 2023: Expectations Of Railway Passengers

Ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2023-24, persons from a wide range of society have put forward their expectations.

The Union Budget will be presented in paperless form by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the floor of the Parliament on February 1 which will also contain Railway Budget.

Railway passengers seek cleanliness & safety in Budget 2023. A passenger at the Patna junction offered his thoughts and expectations adding that the train fares need to be managed. "The Railways should see that train fares don't go up. Also, the fare increases over the last few years should be controlled and the rate of platform tickets has been reduced from Rs 50 to Rs 10, we want it to be reduced further,"  said MD Sanjay, reported to a news agency.

Some passengers expressed their joy and enthusiasm regarding Bharat trains and the Bullet Train initiative. Another traveler at the Patna junction station hoped that the government introduce the Bullet Train project quickly and devise more such initiatives in the coming years.

One of the passengers commented that the railways ought to pay more attention to the cleanliness of the trains. Also, the trains that were stopped at the time of COVID should be made operational again. Regular railway passengers also heightened the demand for increasing the number of trains around the country.

Jharkhand's Ramgarh district requests Rs 1.50 crore of royalty from East Central Railway Students recommended that the Railways should run special trains to make it easier for them to appear for outstation exams as it's impossible to book seats in ordinary passenger trains. Women passengers suggested that the Railway officials should strive harder to protect their safety. Passengers further remarked the Railway Budget should also focus on guaranteeing the supply of quality meals in trains.

Meanwhile, train passengers in the national capital, New Delhi, said they anticipate more budgetary allocations to be provided for passenger safety and hygiene.

A traveller at Delhi railway station observed, "Majority of railway passengers come from middle-class backgrounds. I think there should be more security for people on trains and their sanitary needs should also be looked to. There are several trains where water isn't available in suitable quantities." While another passenger said that more monies should be provided to improve the whole experience of commuting by train.

On the other side, homemakers claimed growing inflation is eating into their household budgets, making it difficult for them to put a leash on their costs. They stated the increased prices of key food products and LPG cylinders had contributed to their troubles.

It is crucial to highlight that Budget 2023 would be to be the last full Budget of the Modi-led government as the next Lok Sabha election is due in April-May of 2024.