The following are the highlights of Railway Budget 2008-09:

Fares

* AC I class fares reduced by 7 per cent

* AC II class fares reduced by 4 per cent

* Re 1 discount on fares up to Rs 50 in non suburban II class

* 5 per cent discount on Second Class fares in Mail/Express

* 2 per cent reduction in fares of new-look Sleeper class

Freight

* 5 per cent reduction in freight rate for petrol and diesel

* 14 per cent reduction in freight rate for fly ash

* 6 per cent freight concession on traffic to North East

New trains

* 53 new pairs of trains to be introduced

* 10 new 'garib raths' to be introduced

* Special train between Pune-Delhi for Commonwealth Youth Games

* Mumbai suburban to get 300 additional services.

Cost & earnings

* Annual plan stands at Rs 37,500 crore, biggest ever so far

* New lines to cost Rs 1,730 crore

* New gauge conversion cost Rs 2,489 crore '

* Electrification cost stands Rs 626 crore

* Outlay for passenger amenities Rs 852 crore

* Revenues from freight Rs 52,700 cr, passenger Rs 21,682 cr

* Earnings from other coaching Rs 2420 cr

* Sundry and other earnings Rs 5,000 cr

People friendly schemes

*Free Rajdhnai, Shatabdi travel for Ashok Chakra winners

* Free season tickets for girls till graduation level

*Mother child health express to be introduced

*AIDS patients to get 50% off in second class

*50% concession for senior women citizens

*Licenced coolies to be employed as gang man

*New Delhi, Mumbai, Secunderabd, Patna stations to be made world-class

*Stainless steel coaches for mail, express trains

*Railways to issue wait-listed e-tickets

*50 big stations to have lifts, escalators

*Express trains to have public address systems

*Facility to display next station in long-distance trains

*Modular toilets to be installed in trains

*15,000 automated ticket machines in 2 years