India’s railway budget today

With passenger fares unlikely to be hiked, India’s Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi will present his maiden railway budget for 2012-13 on Wednesday amid concerns over the financial health of the world’s second largest network._ A cash strapped Indian Railways, which runs 10,500 trains and ferries 22 million passengers daily over 64,000 km of track, is looking at an earnings shortfall of Rs.7,000 crore. Poor financial management has left Indian Railways staring at an earnings shortfall despite gross budgetary support of Rs.20,000 crore last year and a Rs.3,000 crore loan approved by the finance ministry on Feb.6.