VIJAYAWADA: The railway budget introduced by the Narendra Modi government in the Parliament Tuesday received mixed response from the city folk. Even as the disappointment over not granting a separate railway zone for Vijayawada or Visakhapatnam and new trains was palpable, many wanted to adopt a ‘wait-and-watch’ policy as the NDA government is still new.
While the poor and the middle class were unhappy with the fare hike, people from the upper middle class, surprisingly, see it as an essential step to develop the railways into a profitable organisation.
The new railway budget did come up with some tech-driven facilities like alerts to the passengers before their destination, but many complained about lack of a specific proposal on improving safety and security in trains in the wake of a rise in the number of burglaries.
In general, the railway budget was seen as pro-rich by students, employees and small businessmen. Many blamed the former UPA government for the plight of the railways in Vijayawada region, but some accused the state government of failing to get special zone and new trains.