TNN

New Delhi, Feb 14: As Lalu Prasad presented his sixth consecutive railway budget in Parliament, it was clear that he has come a long way from the rustic kulhad-khadi-char-dham-yatra days of 2004. Then, he was carrying the baggage of an increasingly unpopular Bihar leader at the end of a 15-year rule, the clouds of the fodder scam marring the rustic wit. His first budget in 2004 showed a nervousness thinly veiled by his trade mark bluster.

So, he talked of earthen cups to help potters, khadi bed sheets, providing social security for coolies and contract workers. The behemoth of the Indian Railways was rolling along with income barely ahead of expenditure — they were spending 91% of their income in running the sytem, with only a small amount left over for improvement and expansion.

But five budgets later, Lalu is a picture of confidence and tech-savvy smoothness. The mannerisms are still rustic but he now talks of bullet trains and net portals. This transformation is largely derived from the much heralded 'turn-around' of the railways accomplished under his watch.

Passenger traffic is up, but that is to be expected in a country of teeming millions. Goods traffic and hence earnings from freight fares have also zoomed up, taking traffic receipts from about Rs 47,000 crore in 2004-05 to over Rs 82,000 in 2008-09. Expenditure has also risen, but the railways have generated much more surplus cash then ever before — about Rs 50,000 crore, after contributing to pension and depreciation funds.

It is this amount that gives Lalu the sheen of confidence. Most of this has come about by increasing earnings from freight, not by loading passengers. By a slew of measures which included rationalization of freight fares, faster turnaround for wagons, and overloading them, the railways managed to milk the freight gravy train for all it was worth.

But has the surplus really been put to good use — for making travel comfortable, safe and hassle-free? Over the years, travel by trains has become cheaper, especially for the AC sections. Amenities, like cushioned berths, are more evenly spread. Net-based booking and information systems are widely available. But services are definitely down. Out-sourcing of catering, cleaning and such other services with lax oversight is probably the culprit.

That the rail network entered Tripura and J&K is of emotional significance, but the country still awaits expansion of this lifeline to the hinterland — after all, India's rail network has increased by a measly 17% since the British left!