The hike in Plan outlay amounting to Rs 945 crore is on account of increase in capital from the general exchequer to the level of Rs 2,540 crore as against Rs 2,200 crore in the current year.

Meanwhile, railway minister Nitish Kumar has sought additional support of Rs 200 crore from the finance minister in the "Passenger Year" to improve the services.

However, for the year 1998-99, the Plan expenditure has been estimated at Rs 8,755 crore as against the budgeted outlay of Rs 9,500 crore.

The minister proposes to introduce 14 new trains during the year, in addition to increasing the frequency of four trains and extending 10 trains.

The main thrust of the Annual Plan, according to the railway minister, would be on safety. The outlay for track renewal plan has been increased to Rs 1500 crorewhich was 19 per cent over the revised estimates for 1998-99.

Maintaining the trend of the last year to expedite track circuiting and other safety-related works, allocations under signals and telecommunications have been increased to Rs 375 crore from Rs 325 crore in the revised estimate.

According to the railway minister, "in view of the importance of doubling of track for increasing line capacity, the allocation has been raised to Rs 472 crore from Rs 625 crore which works out to be 32 per cent."

The allocation under the passenger amenities plan head has been increased by 45 per cent as compared to the revised estimates.

Nitish Kumar said that for speedier progress of metropolitan transport projects in Calcutta, Chennai and Mumbai, allocation of Rs 300 crore has been made representing an increase of 52 per cent over the revised estimates.

To extend the rail network to new areas of the country, Rs 600 crore has been allocated for new lines, representing an increase of 59 per cent over the revisedestimates. The minister said that under the Unigauge scheme, 8,363 km track has been converted to broad gauge till 1998-99. A provision of Rs 645 crore has been made for gauge conversion in the next year.

The minister further pointed out that Indian Railways had pending projects involving outlay of about Rs 34,000 crore, out of which new line projects and gauge conversion projects were about Rs 20,000 crore and Rs 9,000 crore respectively.

He said that the allocations of funds for the various projects have been made only on the basis of operational requirement but also keeping in view the development of backward areas. He added, "as far as possible, regional balance has also been kept in view."

The new line project to be taken up during 1999-00 include Agra to Etawah via Fatehabad and Bah, and Kakinada to Pithapuram. In addition, railways proposes to take up 241 km of new lines on various sections.

During 1999-00, as many as 541 km of gauge conversion projects are proposed to taken up and completed.Also 290 km of doubling work on various sections was likely to be completed during the year.

The minster has provided Rs 350 crore for railway electrification covering 500 km route.