It means the industry will continue to pay the same charges during financial meltdown with no relief in sight. It is also said that out of 43 new trains, Gujarat will get only two new ones. Besides, only two trains will be extended and the frequency of another two touching the state will be increased. That, feels the state government, is too little to cheer about.

The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, Rupesh Shah, said that the two per cent cut in passenger fare is inadequate and much less than the common man’s expectations.

State Health Minister Jay Narayan Vyas said the one minister of state in the Railway Ministry representing Gujarat made no difference to the state's fortunes as far as the Railway Budget was concerned. “This budget has poured cold water over the aspirations of the common man for safe, clean and satisfactory rail travel and the minister has carried forward the tradition of meting out injustice to Gujarat," Vyas said in a statement.

He said Minister of State for Railways Naranbhai Rathwa, despite belonging to the tribal area of Gujarat, failed to ensure even a single railway link between the tribal areas with other places. Vyas said the mere mention of an intention to do a feasibility check on a bullet train linking Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Pune only shows a step-motherly attitude towards Gujarat.

Meanwhile, former member of Gujarat Labour Welfare Board, Chandrabhan Mishra, said there is a need to resume the Ahmedabad-Agra metre gauge train

service. He said BPL families should be allowed free train journeys.

"Gandhidham-Kamakhya train was announced in the last year's budget, but it never took off. It had no mention in this year's budget either. It is a cruel joke," Mishra said. He said the Porbandar-Motihari train should have been extended up to Darbhanga, not Muzaffarpur. However, he welcomed the introduction of two new trains.

WHAT GUJARAT GETS
New trains
Weekly train from Gandhidham to Kolkata
* Daily train between Mumbai and Veraval

Extension
* 6269/70 Porbandar-Motihari extended up to Muzaffarpur
* 2927/28 Mumbai-Vadodara extended up to Chhotaudepur

Frequency increase
* 2957/58 Ahmedabad-Delhi Rajdhani Express to run daily
* 2947/48 Ahmedabad-Patna Azeemabad Express to run tri-weekly