"This year's Railway Budget will have public interest in mind and neither passenger fares nor freight rates will be increased," Minister of State for Railways T R Baalu said.

The Railways had made a profit of Rs 20,000 crore since the UPA came to power at the Centre and the target increased to Rs 21,000 crore this year, he said after inaugurating the broadguage Bankura Damodar River (BDR) Railway at Rainagar, 30 km from here.

The 96-km railway line of the South Eastern Railway (SER) has been built at a cost of Rs 282 crore and will connect Rainagar to Bankura.

Baalu said the BDR Railway line would be extended to Masagram to provide direct connectivity to the people of Bankura to Howrah through Eastern Railway.

Another connectivity would be provided from Bowaichandi to Khana junction to provide a direct connectivity between Bankura and Khana and help people travelling to Asansol, Durgapur and Burdwan, he said.