Aluminium wagons will replace the existing steel coaches of all goods trains in the country during the next financial year. Announcing this in Bangalore on Monday, Union Railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said aluminium wagons would cut operation costs by 40% and also permit transportation of 40% more freight through trains.
Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav was speaking at a function organised at Yeshwantpur to flag off the extension of Ajmer-Bangalore-Ajmer (bi-weekly) Express, and a Special (Train no 6509/6510) up to Mysore. He also inaugurated a model station at Yeshwantpur.

Rail tracks running to nearly 4,000 kms would also be laid. This will also include gauge conversion works.  The railway budget to be presented on February 26 will be “a budget for the common man, which will cater to all sections of society,” he added. Lalu also announced a sum of Rs 10 lakhs for Yeshwantpur station.

The railways has transformed itself into a huge success story and students from Harvard University and Massachussetts Institute of Technology came to the country to study about it.  “Of the Rs 45,000 crore allocated for the Railways during the last four years, 20% has been pooled back into the treasury,”  the minister said.
The Dr Rakesh Mohan committee (an expert group constituted during Nitish Kumar’s term to look into reform measures for Railways) had recommended that 20% of the existing railway employees be removed but he did not go by its suggestions, Lalu said.

“The 70-day bonus announced for railway employees had never been done earlier,” he added.
In all, 11,000 trains in the country traverse 33,000 kms each day, he said.  “More general coaches will be introduced in the present financial year, and trains introduced wherever required. Another train will be introduced from Bangalore to Mangalore if needed,” he added.

New trains

Train No 6510 will leave Mysore at 6.15 pm and arrive in Bangalore City at 9.25 pm. It  will leave Bangalore at 9.50 pm and reach Ajmer at 5 p.m. The train, which leaves Mysore on Tuesday evening, will reach Ajmer on Thursday evening, while the one leaving on Thursday will reach on Saturday. Train No 6509 which leaves Ajmer at 5.50 am, will arrive in Bangalore City at 4 am. It will leave the City at 4.30 am and reach Mysore by 7.10 am.
The train that leaves Ajmer on Friday morning will reach Mysore on Sunday morning, while the train that leaves on Sunday morning will reach on Tuesday morning. 

South Western Railway General manager Praveen Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager Mahesh Mangal, former minister Roshan Baig, Scientist and MP Dr Kasturirangan were among those who took part in the function.
Lalu later took an MR special train to Tumkur. He inspected the doubling work on the railway track between Yeshwantpur to Tumkur. Tight security was in place at the venue due to threats from Kannada Rakshana Vedike.