New Delhi: Launch of new super-fast second class 'Jana Shatabdi' inter-city trains is be announced in the Railway Budget that would also raise second class passenger fares by 7 to 10 per cent but contain no new rail projects.

Practically every major state in the country will get one or two Jana Shatabdi inter- city train which will run at the same speed (160 km) of Shatabdi express but with a difference that most coaches would be second class and non-air conditioned.

These will be part of about 50 new trains to be announced in the railway Budget to be presented on Feb 26, official sources said, adding that Jana Shatabdi fares will include meals just as in present Shatabdi express.

The Budget is also expected to carry out for the first time a major exercise of "rationalisation" of freight and passenger fares to begin the phase out of cross- subsidisation that cost the Railways Rs 3,500 crore annually, the sources said.

The second-class fares of Jana Shatabdi express will be higher than the ordinary second-class fares. The new trains being “day” trains connecting two cities in various parts of the country will only have seats and no sleepers.

Backed by recommendations of the Rakesh Mohan Committee which went into the issue of restructuring the Railways, the Budget will nearly double the allocation for completing the “last-mile” projects from Rs 800 crore in the current year.

It is also expected to come out with guidelines for clearance of new projects to ensure no state is allocated projects on the basis of political expediency.

The Budget will have no new projects and will have several cost-cutting measures, the sources said.

PTI