Sources said the Railway Minister may announce three or four major projects for home state West Bengal, including a major production unit. In the Interim Budget, Lalu had said the ministry would discuss the matter relating to the transfer of the wagon units of Burn Standard located in Burnpur and Howrah to the ministry the way it was done for units located in Bihar’s Mokama and Muzaffarpur. An announcement about Railways taking over these wagon units could be on the cards. Announcements related to expansion of Kolkata Metro and several new trains for Bengal are also on the anvil, said sources.

Another key announcement in the budget could relate to a Rs 600-crore Integrated Security Plan which envisages setting up of equipment like Internet Protocol based CCTV surveillance systems, access control systems, baggage screening systems and explosive detection and disposal systems at major stations.

Banerjee could also announce an enhancement in the strength of the Railways Protection Force (RPF). The RPF is learnt to have asked for 22,000 new personnel and plans to raise three battalions (around 3,600 personnel) for its crack force — the Railways Protection Special Force — which it plans to deploy exclusively in Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and areas affected with Left-wing extremism. The RPF may also get a Rs 14-crore grant for purchasing vehicles.