Title - Forget Rajdhani, take the local

When Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal presents the railway budget on February 26, keep an ear out for a likely announcement of long-distance electric multiple unit (EMU) trains blurring the lines between big cities and smaller ones.A senior railway ministry official told DNA, “EMU trains will take most of the load off long-distance express trains. For the passengers, too, this will come as a relief, as it will do away with the need for advance reservations. These trains will cover distances between 200km and 500km.”EMUs were first introduced in Mumbai — and India — in February 1925 to as a cleaner fuel option to steam engines. Today, EMU trains have become Mumbai’s lifeline.But what gives an EMU train a leg-up over an express one? “EMU trains can pick up speed fast and can be halted just as quickly. Also, the turnaround time of EMU trains is shorter than that of express trains,” explained the official.

The official was, however, non-committal on the proposed routes for the long-distance EMUs. Sources in the ministry suggested that busy routes such as New Delhi-Howrah, New Delhi-Mumbai and Mumbai-Bangalore, will see the introduction of EMU trains. But, brace yourself for more fare hikes. While a freight rate increase is almost a given, the ministry is also toying with the idea of another round of passenger fare hikes. Iron ore and coal form the major bulk of the railways’ commodities. A hike in their freight rates will mean an extra load on the steel and power industry.

Another passenger fare hike? On the passenger fare front, the jury is still out. “The January fare hike will fetch Rs6,600 crore. But, the recent diesel price hikes have increased the operational cost and led to an outgo of Rs2,700 crore. Hence the proposal to increase fares again,” says an official

But the government is treading cautiously. Many in the ministry feel that passenger fare hikes fetching merely Rs3,000-4,000 crore, which is anyway a miniscule amount in proportion to the ministry’s needs, may turn out to be a political blunder ahead of general