<div align="justify">With the government deciding to merge the Railway Budget with General Budget, officials in Rail Bhavan are expecting a better allocation of funds for development of railway infrastructure.<br /><br />In the Union Budget 2017-18, which will contain a few pages related to programmes and schemes on the Indian Railways, the national transporter is hoping for budgetary support to meet a part of its capital expenditure while raising extra budgetary resources for strengthening the existing network as well as its expansion.<br /><br />Though, fare hike is unlikely across the board keeping the Assembly polls to five states in mind, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may announce a cess on tickets to mobilise Rs 1.20 lakh crore safety fund named as Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh. <br /><br />Jaitley is likely to announce setting up of Rail Development Authority, a regulatory authority for the public transporter, and formation of High Speed Rail Authority. The Railways is expecting that a portion of its huge pension bill will also be absorbed by the Centre on the line of other central government departments. <br /></div>
<div align="justify">With the government deciding to merge the Railway Budget with General Budget, officials in Rail Bhavan are expecting a better allocation of funds for development of railway infrastructure.<br /><br />In the Union Budget 2017-18, which will contain a few pages related to programmes and schemes on the Indian Railways, the national transporter is hoping for budgetary support to meet a part of its capital expenditure while raising extra budgetary resources for strengthening the existing network as well as its expansion.<br /><br />Though, fare hike is unlikely across the board keeping the Assembly polls to five states in mind, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may announce a cess on tickets to mobilise Rs 1.20 lakh crore safety fund named as Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh. <br /><br />Jaitley is likely to announce setting up of Rail Development Authority, a regulatory authority for the public transporter, and formation of High Speed Rail Authority. The Railways is expecting that a portion of its huge pension bill will also be absorbed by the Centre on the line of other central government departments. <br /></div>
